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Soledad O'Brien
Soledad O'Brien.jpg
O'Brien in 2008
Born
María de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien

(1966-09-19) September 19, 1966 (age 58)
St. James, New York, U.S.
Education Harvard University (AB)
Occupation Broadcast journalist
Spouse(s)
Brad Raymond
​
(m. 1995)​
Children 4

Soledad O'Brien (born September 19, 1966) is a well-known American broadcast journalist and TV producer. She hosts Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien, a weekly TV show that airs across the country. She also leads her own media company, Starfish Media Group, which she started in 2013. Soledad O'Brien helps decide who wins the Peabody Awards, which are big awards for excellent stories in TV, radio, and online media.

From 2003 to 2007, O'Brien was a main anchor for CNN's morning show, American Morning. Later, from 2012 to 2013, she anchored Starting Point on CNN. She also worked as a special reporter for America Tonight on Al Jazeera America and for Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on HBO.

Early Life and School

Soledad O'Brien grew up in St. James, New York. Her father, Edward Ephrem O'Brien, was a professor, and her mother, Estela O'Brien, was a teacher. Both of her parents were immigrants who met while studying at Johns Hopkins University. Her father was from Australia with Irish and Scottish family roots. Her mother was from Havana, Cuba, and was of Afro-Cuban descent.

In 1958, her parents got married in Washington, D.C., because laws about interracial marriage were very strict in Maryland at that time. After they married, they moved to Long Island. Soledad is one of six children, and all of them went to Harvard College. Her siblings include a law professor, a lawyer, a businessman, and two doctors. Her niece, Antonia Hylton, is also a journalist.

Soledad O'Brien finished high school in 1984. She started college at Radcliffe College, planning to study medicine and literature. However, she left college early to start working at a TV station. Later, she went back to school and earned her degree in English and American Literature from Harvard in 2000.

Career in Journalism

O'Brien began her career in journalism as a medical reporter for a radio station in Boston. This was because she had studied pre-med in college.

Early Years at NBC and MSNBC (1991–2003)

Soledad O'Brien started at WBZ-TV in Boston as a producer and writer. In 1991, she joined NBC News in New York, working as a producer for Nightly News and Weekend Today. She then spent three years in San Francisco as a local reporter for KRON-TV.

From 1996, O'Brien hosted the weekend morning show on MSNBC. She also hosted The Site, a technology show. This show was special because she talked with a virtual character named Dev Null.

From 1999 to 2003, O'Brien was a co-anchor for NBC's Weekend Today. During this time, she also reported for the weekday Today Show and NBC Nightly News. She covered important events like the plane crash of John F. Kennedy Jr. and the school shootings in the 1990s.

Work at Warner Bros. Discovery (2003–Present)

CNN: American Morning (2003–2007)

In 2003, O'Brien moved to CNN. From July 2003 to April 2007, she was a co-anchor for American Morning, CNN's main morning show, broadcast live from New York City.

In 2005, she reported from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. She interviewed the head of FEMA about the disaster.

CNN: Starting Point (2012–2013)

From January 2012 to March 2013, O'Brien anchored CNN's Starting Point. In 2013, she decided to leave Starting Point to start her own production company, Starfish Media Group. CNN agreed to help fund her company and would have the first chance to air her documentaries. Her last day as an anchor at CNN was March 29, 2013.

HBO: Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (2013–Present)

In June 2013, it was announced that O'Brien would join HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel as a reporter. This show covers different topics in sports.

Investigation Discovery: Quiet on Set (2024)

In 2023, O'Brien led a discussion with former child stars from Nickelodeon. This discussion was part of a special series called Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which looked at challenges faced by young actors.

Other Projects at Warner Bros. Discovery

In 2009, O'Brien made a documentary called Latino In America, which explored the lives of Latinos in the United States. She continued to work as a reporter for CNN, often hosting her "In America" documentaries. She also sometimes filled in for Anderson Cooper on Anderson Cooper 360.

O'Brien hosted a CNN special called Black in America in July 2007. This program looked at the successes and challenges faced by black men, women, and families. One part of the series, "The Black Woman & Family," explored the different experiences of black women and families. Another report, "Kids on Race," looked at how children view race.

Her company, Starfish Media Group, made a deal with HBO to give them the first chance to see any new shows or ideas her company develops.

Podcasting

In January 2022, O'Brien started a podcast called Everyday Wealth with financial journalist Jean Chatzky. It talks about personal money matters and the economy. In 2023, she also worked with actor Rob Reiner on a podcast series called Who Killed JFK?, which looked into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Starfish Media Group

In June 2013, Soledad O'Brien started her own company, Starfish Media Group. This company creates and distributes TV shows and documentaries. Starfish Media Group made a deal to produce documentary specials for Al Jazeera America.

In September 2016, O'Brien became the host of Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien, a show produced by Hearst Television. In 2018, she hosted the documentary series Mysteries & Scandals on Oxygen.

Other Activities

From 2013 to 2016, O'Brien was the host of the National Geographic Bee, a competition about geography for students.

In 2014, she co-taught a class at Harvard University Graduate School of Education about how to help the public understand education better.

On May 1, 2016, O'Brien hosted PBS NewsHour Weekend. She also appeared on PBS's TV show Finding Your Roots in 2016, where she learned more about her Irish family history.

In 2016, O'Brien presented the 'I Am Latino in America' tour, which traveled across the United States.

Personal Life

In 1995, Soledad O'Brien married Bradford "Brad" Raymond. They have four children: two daughters, Sofia and Cecilia, and twin sons, Charles and Jackson.

O'Brien has shared that her full name in Spanish means "The Blessed Virgin Mary of Solitude." Even though some people suggested she change her name when she started in TV, she chose to keep it. She has also mentioned that she does not speak Spanish fluently.

Soledad O'Brien has enjoyed riding horses since she was 13 years old, and now she shares this hobby with her family. She and her husband also run a foundation called PowHERful Foundation. This foundation helps mentor young women and supports them in going to college. The foundation began in 2011.

In 2011, O'Brien became an honorary member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

Awards and Honors

Leadership and Memberships

  • 2007: Bryant University, Doctor of Humane Letters
  • 2011: Delta Sigma Theta, Honorary Member
  • 2013: Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Distinguished Visiting Fellow
  • 2014: Spelman College (Atlanta, GA), Doctor of Humane Letters
  • 2016: Stony Brook University, Honorary Doctorate of Letters
  • Member of the National Association of Black Journalists
  • Member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists
  • Board Member at The Harlem School of the Arts

Filmography

  • 1993–1996: The Know Zone (TV Series) – Co-host
  • 1996–1997: The Site, MSNBC (TV Series) – Host
  • 1997–2003: Weekend Today, NBC – Host
  • 2003–2007: American Morning, CNN (TV Series) – Co-Host
  • 2007–2011: In America, CNN – Host
  • 2012–2013: Starting Point, CNN – Host
  • 2013: America Tonight, Al Jazeera America – Host
  • 2013–2015: Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel – Correspondent
  • 2016: Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien, Hearst Television – Host
  • 2016: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Herself
  • 2019: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Herself

Works and Publications

  • 2008: Black in America (CNN)
  • 2009: Latino in America (CNN)
  • 2010: The Atlanta Child Murders (CNN)
  • 2011: Don't Fail Me: Education in America (CNN)
  • 2012: Who Is Black in America? (CNN)
  • Other documentaries include Crisis in Haiti, Beyond Bravery: The Women of 9/11, and Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door.
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