Lu Parker

Frances Louise Parker, born April 16, 1968, is an American journalist, animal rights advocate, motivational speaker, and beauty pageant titleholder. She is widely recognized for winning the Miss USA 1994 pageant and representing the United States at Miss Universe 1994, as well as for her long-standing career in television broadcasting.

Parker was born in Anderson, South Carolina. She attended the College of Charleston, where she joined Alpha Delta Pi, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, and was later named Alumnus of the Year. She went on to receive a Master of Arts in Education from The Citadel. Following her studies, Parker taught English literature at North Charleston and Middleton High Schools. She received the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina's highest civilian honor, and was twice recognized in the South Carolina Congressional Record as an outstanding South Carolinian. Her broadcasting career began at WCSC-TV in Charleston, South Carolina, where she worked as an education reporter and fill-in anchor.

After winning Miss South Carolina USA, Parker competed at Miss USA 1994. She entered the semi-finals in first place after winning all three preliminary competitions, advanced to the Top 6 in second place, and finished in the final three before being crowned Miss USA, making her the third winner from South Carolina. She then represented the United States at the 1994 Miss Universe Pageant in Manila, Philippines, wearing an astronaut costume for her national costume and placing among the top 6 finalists. Parker later authored a book on pageantry titled Catching the Crown: The Source for Pageant Competition and served as a judge for the Miss Teen USA 2016 pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Parker transitioned into television journalism in San Antonio, where KABB TV hired her as a weekend anchor and reporter before promoting her to main anchor in 2000. In February 2003, she became the host of "Great Day SA" on KENS 5. In January 2005, Parker moved to Los Angeles to co-anchor KTLA's "KTLA Prime News" on weekends. Beginning in 2007, she co-anchored the weekday "KTLA Morning News" at 5:00 A.M. and 6:00 A.M., and starting in 2015, she anchored KTLA's 11:00 A.M., 2:00 P.M., and 3:00 P.M. newscasts. During her broadcast career, she won multiple Emmy Awards. She was laid off by KTLA in February 2026.

In addition to news anchoring, Parker appeared on "Larry King Live" and E! Entertainment Television, and she acted in films and television shows, frequently depicting a news anchor. In 2016, she partnered with Maria Shriver and KTLA to create an inspirational webshow titled The Path with Lu Parker. As an animal advocate, she founded the Lu Parker Project in 2010, an organization aimed at improving the lives of at-risk youth and homeless animals through direct service, education, and advocacy.