Taya Kyle

Taya Kyle
Kyle in 2013
Born
Taya Renae Studebaker

(1974-09-04) September 4, 1974
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
OccupationActivist
Political party
Republican
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2002; died 2013)​
Children2

Taya Renae Kyle (née Studebaker; born September 4, 1974) is an American author, political commentator, and military veteran's family activist. Known as the widow of US Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, she was portrayed by actress Sienna Miller in the film American Sniper based on his autobiography of the same name. She is also the co-author of American Wife: A Memoir of Love, Service, Faith, and Renewal, a book about life with her husband.

Early life

Born Taya Renae Studebaker on September 4, 1974, in Portland, Oregon,[1] she is the daughter of Kim and Kent Studebaker. Her father previously served as the mayor of Lake Oswego, Oregon.[2] Her older sister is Ashley (Studebaker) Brittell.[3]

Chris Kyle

Studebaker met Chris Kyle in 2001. They married in 2002 and later had two children.[4]

As a Navy SEAL, Chris Kyle is known as the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history.[5] His autobiography, American Sniper, was published on January 3, 2012. On February 2, 2013, he was shot and killed at a shooting range in Texas, making Taya a widow at age 38.[5]

Life after Chris Kyle's death

In 2014, Kyle founded the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation as a touchstone for veterans and their families. The foundation's mission is to "serve those who serve us by providing meaningful interactive experiences that enrich family relationships".[6]

In May 2013, former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura brought a defamation suit against the estate of Chris Kyle, of which Taya was the executor, for $1.3 million. The lawsuit was the continuation of an original lawsuit filed in 2012 against Kyle's husband, over a statement made in the book American Sniper.[7] In the book's chapter titled "Punching Out Scruff Face", Chris Kyle stated he had punched a celebrity he called "Scruff Face" for saying the SEALs "could afford to lose a couple" in war. Ventura won the lawsuit in an 8 to 2 jury decision.[8] An appeals court threw out part of the lawsuit in June 2016, and the case was ultimately settled out of court for an undisclosed amount of money.[9]

Clint Eastwood directed the feature film American Sniper in 2014, based on the lives of Chris and Taya Kyle. Taya Kyle was involved in the making of the film, working with the film's screenwriter Jason Hall, and she was portrayed by Sienna Miller. The film, released by Warner Bros. Pictures nationwide in January 2015, was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.[10][11] It won the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing at the 87th Academy Awards.[12]

Publication of Taya Kyle's autobiography

On May 5, 2015, Taya Kyle's autobiography, American Wife: A Memoir of Love, Service, Faith, and Renewal, was released by HarperCollins publishing. Co-written with military and war author Jim DeFelice, the book details her life as a military wife and how she dealt with the sudden and untimely death of her husband.[13][14]

Other activities

In September 2015, she was a judge for the Miss America pageant.[15]

In 2016, Kyle was featured in season 1, episode 5 of American Elements on CarbonTV.[16]

Kyle was a contributor for Fox News.[17]

In 2020, she unsuccessfully ran for Midlothian Independent School District Trustees.[18]

In April 2024, Kyle debut children's picture book, Prayers for Bears: Bailey the Grateful Bear was published by Christian publishing house Fidelis Books.[19]

Politics

Taya is a Republican and endorsed Rick Perry in the 2016 presidential election. After Perry withdrew, she endorsed Ted Cruz. She also served as treasurer for the successful 2016 campaign of Bill Waybourn for Sheriff of Tarrant County, Texas.[20]

In January 2016, she opined at a CNN Town Hall Event that the opposition to the NRA and adding more laws restricting gun ownership is not a solution to the gun violence in the United States.[21]

References

  1. ^ Kyle, Taya (2015). American Wife. William Morrow. p. 3. ISBN 978-0062398086.
  2. ^ "Mayor and Council | City of Lake Oswego". Ci.oswego.or.us. January 1, 2012. Archived from the original on January 4, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  3. ^ Paul Moseley (February 5, 2013). "Taya Kyle, daughter of Lake Oswego mayor, wrote of fears for her husband, 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle". OregonLive.com. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  4. ^ "'American Sniper' Widow Recalls Heartbreaking Moment Kids Learned Navy SEAL Dad Chris Kyle Had Been Killed". Christian Post. January 19, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Beil, Laura (December 20, 2013). "Who Killed Chris Kyle?". Men's Health: 1. Archived from the original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  6. ^ "Chris Kyle Frog Foundation". Chris Kyle Frog Foundation. June 20, 2014. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  7. ^ Hopfensperger, Jean. "Former MN Gov. Ventura wants to add widow to suit against Navy SEAL Chris Kyle". www.startribune.com. Archived from the original on June 1, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  8. ^ Fantz, Ashley (February 25, 2015). "Ventura wins $1.8M after suing storied ex-SEAL sniper". CNN. Archived from the original on February 6, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  9. ^ Lamothe, Dan (June 13, 2016). "Court throws out $1.8 million judgment against 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle's estate". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 14, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  10. ^ "Widow of real-life American sniper is moved by actor's portrayal | State & National News". Mankatofreepress.com. January 14, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  11. ^ Eliana Dockterman (January 16, 2015). "'American Sniper': The True Story of Chris Kyle". Time. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  12. ^ "2015". Oscars.org – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. March 10, 2015. Archived from the original on March 10, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  13. ^ "Chris Kyle Dead: How the American Sniper's Widow Taya Is Coping". People.com. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  14. ^ World Archipelago. "American Wife". HarperCollins Canada. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  15. ^ "'Shark Tank' star, Taya Kyle will judge Miss America competition". Fox News. August 12, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  16. ^ "Taya Kyle : American Elements". CarbonTV. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  17. ^ "Taya Kyle joins Fox News as a contributor". Fox News. August 1, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  18. ^ Spinks, Bill (November 3, 2020). "Incumbents win re-election in Midlothian races". Waxahachie Daily Light. Waxahachie, Texas.
  19. ^ Kyle, Taya (April 16, 2024). Prayers for Bears: Bailey the Grateful Bear. Fidelis Books. ISBN 979-8-8884-5451-0.
  20. ^ Richter, Marice (February 29, 2016). "Wife of 'American Sniper' making waves in Texas Republican politics". Reuters. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  21. ^ "'American Sniper' widow: Gun control won't protect us". CNN.com. January 8, 2016. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
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