Chris Hansen's Life After NBC Show, Continued Catching Predators On TruBlu, Aided A Sting Operation
Chris Hansen gained recognition over the years with his appearances on 'To Catch a Predator.' The journalist did not stop catching predators as he launched a new show.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleA24's upcoming film Primetime is set to revisit the story behind To Catch a Predator and the man who became its face. Led by Robert Pattinson as a version of journalist Chris Hansen and directed by Lance Oppenheim, the crime thriller dramatizes the rise of the Dateline sting series that defined mid-2000s television.
Set for a September 25, 2026 theatrical release, the film is inspired by the Esquire article about the show's behind-the-scenes story and has already drawn attention ahead of its debut. With a few more days left until the film’s release, Hansen’s career is back in discussion. People are also eager to know his current whereabouts.
Chris Hansen continued catching predators through another show
Chris Hansen hosted NBC's To Catch a Predator from 2004 to 2007, conducting sting operations with Perverted-Justice. He confronted online predators arriving to meet minors, leading to arrests. The show became iconic but faced criticism over entrapment. This eventually led to ethical and legal consequences.
Hansen left NBC in 2013 after the network opted not to renew his deal. After that, he moved to Investigation Discovery with Killer Instinct and later to Crime Watch Daily, where he revived his sting format with Hansen vs. Predator. In 2019, he launched his YouTube series Have a Seat With Chris Hansen, which he still runs.
He later created his own platform, TruBlu. His new show, Takedown With Chris Hansen, also premiered on the same platform in 2022. The show brought back his classic confrontation-style interviews. He continues to produce new Takedown episodes.
In 2025, he teamed with police in Harford County, Maryland, for a sting that resulted in nine arrests of men allegedly attempting to meet minors for sex. One suspect was texting an officer posing as a 14-year-old girl and said he was worried that Chris Hansen from To Catch a Predator might be there waiting for him. This was proof that his name still puts predators on edge years later.
Robert Pattinson defends his portrayal of Chris Hansen
Robert Pattinson said he hopes Chris Hansen eventually comes around on Primetime, the tense thriller inspired by the television journalist and To Catch a Predator host. The real-life Hansen has been vocal about his skepticism toward the movie, saying he hasn't seen it because he declined to sign a standard NDA from studio A24.
Based on the trailer, Chris reportedly found Pattinson's portrayal overly dramatic and questioned Hollywood's motives for dramatizing the NBC series, Dateline, which was about child predators. At a recent press conference, Pattinson said he obviously hopes Hansen likes the film, adding that something is electrifying about him and that he would hope the inspiration Hansen's character has given people for years would be taken as a kind of compliment.
Primetime is set in the mid-2000s and follows Hansen, then hosting To Catch a Predator, as he turned the pursuit of suspected child predators into primetime entertainment. Loosely based on the 2007 Esquire article Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die, the film looks at the ethical limits of Hansen's methods and the collision between journalism, policing, and entertainment.
To Catch a Predator ultimately ended in 2008 after facing backlash over its approach to confronting suspects. Pattinson also said there is something magnetic about Hansen's presence, noting that he watched the show when he was younger without thinking much about it.
Robert described it as a strange alchemy, saying that something Hansen was doing is the reason people are still talking about the show 20 years later; that it was not solely about the subject matter, and that the show itself was groundbreaking, but Hansen was the one centering it. He added that even after watching thousands of hours of it, you can't quite put your finger on what that something is.
What are your thoughts about Chris Hansen’s career over the years? Let us know.
PC: Have A Seat With Chris Hansen/Facebook
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