Who is José Griñán’s wife? All about Kathryn Griffin Townsend as beloved Fox 26 Houston anchor dies at 72

The husband of Kathryn Griffin Townsend and former Fox 26 Houston (KRIV) anchor José Griñán passed away at 72. The station announced his demise on Monday, May 26, 2025, and paid tribute to the Cuban-American morning show presenter. Fox 26 stated in its report about José’s passing,

“José was a beloved and familiar face in Houston – leaving an indelible mark on the city and on its broadcasting landscape. José's charisma, warmth, and dedication to his craft resonated deeply with viewers. His storytelling spanned thousands of stories, from hard-hitting breaking news to heartwarming features, all delivered with his signature style that made him a household name.”

Griñán is survived by his two daughters, three step-daughters, and wife, Kathryn Griffin Townsend. For those unaware, Kathryn is the biological daughter of singer-songwriter and record exec Ed Townsend. According to her profile on Harris County’s website, Kathryn Griffin Townsend was born in Inglewood, California.

She was adopted as a child and spent the early years of her life in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Kathryn earned a full scholarship to study at Texas Southern University when she was 16. Griffin Townsend moved to Houston to pursue her studies as a teenager before relocating to California for her singing career.

She met her biological father in 1986 while establishing her music career. Per her Harris County profile, Kathryn Griffin Townsend got to perform with the likes of George Clinton and Rick James. The young singer was also struggling with drug addiction at the time and entered rehab in 1986.

Kathryn Griffin Townsend turned her life around in the early 2000s

The substance addiction during college forced the daughter of the Let's Get It On songwriter into prostitution. In a 2013 interview on WBUR’s Here & Now, Robin Young introduced Kathryn Griffin Townsend to speak on helping the victims of s*x trafficking and prostitution. The host spoke on Griffin’s past as a former prostitute, a child s*x abuse survivor, and an ex-drug addict,

“Kathryn says she was molested as a child, and that pole-vaulted her into the fast lane of drugs and alcohol in college. A singer, whose father wrote the hit ‘Let's Get It On,’ she toured with Rick James. And when that tour ended, so did her drug supply, and she turned to prostitution.”

Talking about how her life turned around, Kathryn Griffin Townsend recounted,

“I had a $30,000-a-month cocaine habit that took me from Beverly Hills to behind the trash dumpster, cardboard box condominiums, abandoned houses, you name it. I'll never forget, the first time I was arrested was on Sepulveda Boulevard (in Los Angeles).”

She spoke about how the punishments were not harsh back in the day in Texas as she added,

“Only by the grace of God did I have a crack pipe in my bra, and that pipe qualified me to be one of the guinea pigs for the Harris County STAR drug court program.”

When Griffin Townsend appeared in court in 2003, she was offered a “choice” of sentence or sobriety, per Harris County. Kathryn chose to turn her life around and was “first to graduate from the Harris County STAR Drug Court Program.” In the following years, she also created the re-entry program called We've Been There Done That and helped the victims of prostitution and human trafficking.

Kathryn is also Human trafficking Director at Harris County Constable Precinct 1 and recovery coach at Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Trending

According to her Harris County profile, Kathryn Griffin Townsend has made multiple TV appearances on programs like Jeremy Kyle Show, Bill Cunningham Show, Dr. Drew Life Changers, and The Steve Wilkos Show. She also gained media attention for being a plaintiff in a copyright infringement case against Ed Sheeran.

Per ABC News, the Shape of You singer was sued for allegedly taking “rhythm, chord progression and other elements” for Thinking Out Loud from Let's Get It On, sung by Marvin Gaye (co-written by Ed Townsend). Sheeran won the case in 2023 and shared that there was no animosity between him and Kathryn outside of the court on The Elvis Duran Morning Show.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback