Kim Russo, widely known as “The Happy Medium,” is an American psychic medium and spiritual communicator whose work centers on connecting people with loved ones who have passed away and interpreting messages from what she describes as the spirit world. She has gained international recognition through hosting television series such as The Haunting Of… and Psychic Intervention and by appearing on shows like Celebrity Ghost Stories and Paranormal State.
Certified by reputable organizations including The Forever Family Foundation and The Windbridge Institute for Applied Research in Human Potential, her abilities have been tested in controlled settings. Russo is also a bestselling author, known for books that explore her experiences and perspectives on the spiritual realm.
Early Life
Kim Russo was born in Brooklyn and spent her childhood in Queens, New York. She describes her upbringing as very good and essentially “average,” saying she had everything she needed as a child. Her father was an immigrant from Europe who ran a painting contracting business, and her mother was Italian American.
Russo reports that she always had a small, close-knit group of school friends growing up. Around the age of nine Russo began to notice spirits and other presences. At first these experiences frightened her, though she later became more comfortable with them.
She attended school in New York City and says the unusual experiences did not affect her grades; she would often daydream about what she had seen but kept those experiences to herself.
Russo notes that psychic sensitivity runs in her family. She has said that her siblings and her paternal cousins (whom she grew up near) also share similar mediumistic abilities, even though most of them do not practice it.
Otherwise her early family life was described as normal and supportive, and she emphasizes having had a loving home with her parents and children in school.
Kim Russo – Key Facts
| Fact | Verified Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kim Russo |
| Also Known As | The Happy Medium |
| Profession | Psychic medium and TV host |
| Nationality | American |
| Known For | The Haunting Of… |
| Other TV Shows | Psychic Intervention |
| Certifications | Forever Family Foundation |
| Research Testing | Windbridge Institute |
| Author Of | The Happy Medium |
| Net Worth (2026) | $3M–$5M (estimated) |
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Professional Beginnings
Kim Russo began her working life in the real estate industry before eventually embracing her natural gift as a psychic medium. After pursuing this calling, she underwent formal training with specialized research institutes, earning certification from the Forever Family Foundation and the Windbridge Institute after rigorous double-blind testing. These accomplishments gave her credibility in the paranormal field.
Early on, Russo built her public profile through television appearances. She featured on A&E’s Paranormal State and on the documentary series Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal, and she also appeared on Bio Channel’s Celebrity Ghost Stories. These early roles introduced Russo to a wider audience and set the stage for her later projects.
Role Progression & Industry Contributions
Russo’s breakthrough came when Lifetime Movie Network (LMN) gave her a headline series. Her show, The Haunting Of…, became the network’s top-rated reality program. Over six seasons (nearly 80 episodes) she traveled with celebrities to revisit their haunted experiences, using her mediumship to unlock answers and provide comfort.
The show’s success led LMN to green-light a companion series, Psychic Intervention, which premiered in late 2014. In this six-episode series Russo stepped beyond celebrity cases to help everyday families in crisis, using spirit-guided counseling to address powerful emotional and mental obstacles.
In addition to her television work, Russo expanded into writing and public education. In 2016 she published The Happy Medium – Life Lessons from The Other Side with HarperCollins; the book debuted at No. 1 in Amazon’s spirituality category. Her second book, Your Soul Purpose – Learn How to Access the Light Within, followed in 2019.
Known as “The Happy Medium,” Russo often calls herself a “psychic journalist,” emphasizing her careful interviewing of spirits during readings. She is also an active speaker and teacher, having led hundreds of live workshops and events across the U.S. where she demonstrates mediumship techniques and offers spiritual guidance to audiences. As Russo herself has noted, being “the voice for the spirit world” is her calling, a role that “brings an amazing peace and closure to many people.”
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Notable Career Milestones
- The Haunting Of… (LMN series): Russo’s breakout show on Lifetime Movie Network ran for six seasons (about 80 episodes) and became the channel’s highest-rated paranormal series. In each episode she guided a celebrity back to the site of a previous paranormal encounter, revealing insights and spirit messages that helped them find closure.
- Psychic Intervention (2014): Russo starred in this LMN series (premiered November 22, 2014) that consisted of six one-hour episodes. The show focused on Russo using her mediumship to help ordinary families stuck by grief, trauma or illness to move forward with spirit-led advice.
- Published Author: In 2016 Russo released The Happy Medium – Life Lessons from The Other Side, a memoir and teaching guide that immediately became a No. 1 spiritual best-seller on Amazon. She followed it in 2019 with Your Soul Purpose – Learn How to Access the Light Within, further establishing her as an author on spiritual development.
- Celebrity Ghost Stories Revival (2020): A&E revived its Celebrity Ghost Stories franchise with Russo serving as executive producer and on-camera medium. The series reformat (debuting April 2020) had her leading entertainment personalities, such as rapper and actor Ice-T and reality TV star Paula Abdul, back to the locations of their own hauntings, where Russo helped them interpret and understand those paranormal experiences.
- Live Engagements: Outside of television, Russo became known for her live shows. She has delivered hundreds of speaking engagements and stage performances nationwide, where she combines storytelling with real-time mediumship demonstrations. These events often involve audience participation, allowing Russo to showcase her techniques and connect people with messages from loved ones on the “other side.”
Current Position & Ongoing Initiatives
As of 2025, Russo continues to blend her media presence with public outreach. She remains executive producer and lead psychic on A&E’s Celebrity Ghost Stories (revived 2020), guiding each guest through immersive paranormal investigations.
In tandem with her TV work, Russo maintains an active role as an author and teacher. Her two books remain in print, and she frequently leads workshops and spiritual development courses for students and followers. Russo’s current efforts thus span television, publishing, and live education, all reinforcing her established reputation as a professional medium, paranormal investigator, and spiritual counselor.
Kim Russo Net Worth
As of 2026, Kim Russo’s net worth is estimated to be between $3 million and $5 million. She built this wealth through a long career on paranormal reality television, hosting series like The Haunting Of (six seasons) and Psychic Intervention. Her two spiritual self-help books (both published by HarperCollins) also add to her earnings, for example, The Happy Medium was an Amazon #1 spiritual bestseller. In addition, she offers paid private readings and leads workshops and paid speaking engagements. These figures come from entertainment media sources and have not been verified by major financial outlets.
