Star Jones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Star Jones
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Jones in 2011
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| Born |
Starlet Marie Jones
March 24, 1962 Badin, North Carolina, U.S.
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| Other names | Star Jones Reynolds |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
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Notable credit(s)
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Al Reynolds
(m. 2004; div. 2008)Ricardo Lugo
(m. 2018) |
Starlet Marie Jones Lugo (born March 24, 1962), known as Star Jones, is an American lawyer, journalist, and TV personality. She is also a fashion designer, author, and an advocate for women. Many people know her as one of the first hosts on the ABC morning talk show The View. She was on the show for nine seasons, from 1997 to 2006. In 2011, she was a contestant on The Celebrity Apprentice, finishing in fifth place. Today, she hosts the TV show Divorce Court.
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Early Life and Education
Star Jones was born in Badin, North Carolina. She grew up in Trenton, New Jersey. Her mother was a human services administrator. Her stepfather was a security chief for the city.
Jones went to Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Administration of Justice from American University. She was part of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority there. In 1986, Jones earned a law degree (J.D.) from the University of Houston Law Center. She became a lawyer in New York state in 1987.
Star Jones's TV Career
From 1986 to 1991, Star Jones worked as a prosecutor in Brooklyn, New York. She worked for the Kings County District Attorney's Office. In 1992, she became a senior assistant district attorney.
In 1994, she got her own TV show called Jones & Jury. This show was like other court shows, but it also had a talk show style. Even though the show only lasted one season, it made Jones the first Black person to be a court show judge. She was also the first woman to lead this type of court show.
After that, Jones became a legal expert on Inside Edition. She helped cover the famous O. J. Simpson murder case. She was the only reporter to interview Simpson during his civil trial.
Time on The View
In 1997, Star Jones became one of the first four hosts of The View. She was on the show for nine seasons. During her time on The View, there were some discussions about her.
Jones had a gastric bypass surgery in August 2003. This surgery helped her lose 160 pounds over three years. At first, she said she lost weight through diet and exercise. Later, in a 2007 magazine essay, she shared that she had surgery. Some people criticized her for not being open about it sooner.
When she married Al Reynolds in 2004, Jones talked a lot about her wedding plans on The View. She mentioned the companies that provided things for her wedding, like invitations and clothes. It was later found out that she got these products and services for free in exchange for mentioning them. ABC, the TV network, felt that this promotion bothered viewers. On April 21, 2006, ABC told Jones that her contract would not be renewed.
Jones announced her departure from the show earlier than planned. She said that her contract was not renewed, and she felt she was fired. The next day, Barbara Walters, a co-creator of The View, said she was surprised by Jones's announcement. Walters then said that Jones would no longer appear on the show.
Jones later said that the network had approved all her wedding mentions. She also said that the show's ratings were very high during her time as a co-host. Brian Frons, an ABC executive, said that viewers did not like Jones talking about her weight loss and wedding plans.
Jones's departure caused a disagreement between her and Barbara Walters for several years. When the show aired reruns that summer, Jones's name was removed from the opening credits. She was replaced by Sherri Shepherd in September 2007.
On February 22, 2012, Jones returned to The View as a guest. She has made other guest appearances since then.
truTV and Other Appearances
On March 7, 2007, Jones announced she would return to Court TV, which was renamed truTV. She became the executive editor of daytime programming. She also hosted a live talk show called Star Jones. The show covered pop culture, entertainment, crime, and justice.
However, her show was canceled after six months. The final episode aired on February 1, 2008. The network said Jones was "too serious" for their focus on tabloid stories.
Jones was also a red-carpet host for the E! television network from 2004 to 2005. She interviewed celebrities at awards shows. E! did not renew her contract after one year.
She has hosted or guest-hosted many other TV programs. These include House Hunters on HGTV and Larry King Live. She has also acted in shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Drop Dead Diva.
Jones has also been a legal expert for The Insider and Dr. Phil. She appeared on The Wendy Williams Show.
In 2009, Jones was on a celebrity version of Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?. She won $25,000 for a school in New York City. She was also a contestant on The Celebrity Apprentice. She finished in fifth place.
Since September 19, 2022, Jones has been the judge on Divorce Court.
Books by Star Jones
Star Jones has written several books. Her first book, You Have to Stand for Something, or You'll Fall for Anything, was published in 1998. It is a collection of stories about her life.
Her second book, Shine: A Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey to Finding Love, came out in 2006. This book talked about the changes she made in her life, including her marriage and weight loss.
In March 2011, she released her third book, Satan's Sisters. This novel is about a fictional TV talk show with five women who have very different personalities. A TV series based on this book, called Daytime Divas, aired in 2017. Jones was an executive producer for the series and appeared as herself in one episode.
Star Jones's Affiliations
Star Jones is the President of the National Association of Professional Women (NAPW). She created the NAPW Foundation. This foundation helps organizations like the American Heart Association, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Dress For Success, and Girls, Inc.. Jones also visits NAPW local chapters and hosts their yearly conference.
She is also the president of Professional Diversity Network. She is a member of its board of directors. This makes her one of the youngest African-American women to lead a public company in the U.S.
In 2022, President Joe Biden chose Jones to be the chair of the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad.
Personal Life
Star Jones had gastric bypass surgery in 2003. She lost 160 pounds after the procedure.
She married investment banker Al Reynolds on November 13, 2004. Their wedding was a big event in New York City. It had many guests and a large wedding party. Over thirty companies provided items for the wedding for free in exchange for being mentioned in the media. After the wedding, Jones used the name "Star Jones Reynolds" professionally. However, she went back to "Star Jones" in 2007. On March 9, 2008, Jones and Reynolds announced they were getting divorced.
On March 17, 2010, Jones had heart surgery. This was related to a surgery she had many years earlier for a tumor.
On October 24, 2017, Jones announced her engagement to Ricardo Lugo. They married on a cruise ship in the Bahamas on March 25, 2018.
