T. J. Holmes facts for kids

Loutelious "T. J." Holmes Jr. (born August 19, 1977) is an American journalist and TV personality. He became well-known as an anchor and correspondent for CNN. He worked there for five years, hosting CNN Saturday & Sunday Morning.

After leaving CNN in 2011, Holmes signed a deal with BET Networks. This included a new show called Don't Sleep. However, BET and Holmes stopped working together in 2013 when the show was canceled. In December 2012, Holmes also became a fill-in anchor for weekend shows on MSNBC. He returned to CNN briefly in 2013 as a substitute. From September 2014 to January 2023, Holmes worked for ABC News. He was a correspondent and anchor there.

Early Life and Education

T. J. Holmes was born in West Memphis, Arkansas. He is the younger of two children in his family. His family called him "T. Jr." He started using "T. J." officially when he began his career in television.

Holmes went to the University of Arkansas. He earned a degree in broadcast journalism. This degree helped him prepare for his career in news.

Starting a Career in Television

Holmes began his TV career at KSNF Channel 16 in Joplin, Missouri. He drove from his university to deliver his resume and video reel. He was hired right away. Holmes worked at KSNF for less than a year. He was a producer, reporter, and weekend anchor.

In 2000, Holmes moved back to Arkansas. He joined KTHV, a CBS TV station in Little Rock. He started as a general assignment reporter. Within a year, he was promoted to weekend anchor.

In 2003, Holmes moved to KNTV in the San Francisco Bay Area. This was an NBC station. He became the anchor for the 5 p.m. evening news. While at KNTV, he traveled to Athens, Greece. He covered the 2004 Olympics. These were the first Summer Games after the September 11th attacks. He also reported on other big stories. These included the election of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in California. He also covered the trial of Scott Peterson.

Working at CNN

Holmes joined CNN as a news anchor in October 2006. He co-anchored CNN Saturday & Sunday Morning with Betty Nguyen. When Nguyen left in March 2010, Holmes hosted the show by himself.

At CNN, Holmes reported from many major news events. He was in Joplin, Missouri, after tornadoes in May 2011. He reported from New Orleans during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. He was also in Blacksburg, Virginia, after the shootings at Virginia Tech. Holmes also anchored from Ground Zero on the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.

Holmes covered the first visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States in 2008. He anchored live from the mass at Yankee Stadium. He also got some of the first stories from people who survived US Airways Flight 1549. This plane landed in the Hudson River in January 2009. Holmes also reported from the University of Mississippi. This was during the first presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama.

Holmes anchored important news stories. These included Saddam Hussein's execution in 2006. He also covered the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India in 2008. His last day at CNN was Christmas Day 2011.

Time at BET

In December 2011, Holmes signed a deal with BET Networks. This deal included a new show on BET. It also involved content for BET.com. The company wanted him to share important stories with the BET audience.

Stephen G. Hill, President of Music Programming and Specials at BET Networks, was excited. He said they looked forward to working with Holmes in new ways. He also mentioned developing shows that would show Holmes' intelligence and humor.

In August 2012, BET Networks announced Holmes would host Don't Sleep. The show started on October 1, 2012. It aired Monday through Thursday. Holmes would offer smart comments on important issues for the black community. In March 2013, BET announced that Don't Sleep was canceled. Holmes then left the network.

MSNBC and Return to CNN

Starting in December 2012, Holmes appeared on MSNBC as a substitute anchor. He filled in on shows like Weekends with Alex Witt and NewsNation with Tamron Hall.

On June 24, 2013, Holmes briefly returned to the Turner family of networks. He anchored coverage of the George Zimmerman trial.

Working at ABC News

T. J. Holmes joined the ABC News Team on September 26, 2014. He started as a temporary worker. He filled in on overnight news programs like World News Now and America This Morning. He also reported for Good Morning America when big news happened overnight. His new role was announced the next day by the GMA Weekend hosts. Holmes also filled in on Good Morning America when needed.

On December 23, 2014, he became a permanent co-anchor of World News Now. On September 21, 2020, Holmes became a co-anchor for GMA3: What You Need to Know. He left ABC News in January 2023 due to a personal matter.

In December 2023, Holmes and Amy Robach launched a podcast called Amy & T.J. on iHeartRadio.

Personal Life

Holmes is a member of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta. He is also part of the National Association of Black Journalists. He serves on the Chancellor's Board of Advisors at the University of Arkansas. He is also on the Board of Visitors at Emory University in Atlanta.

In 2007, Holmes received the Young Alumni Award from the Arkansas Alumni Association. This was from the University of Arkansas. In 2011, The Root magazine named him to their list of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans.

Holmes was married to Amy Ferson. They divorced in 2007. He has two children from previous relationships: a daughter named Brianna and a son named Jaiden.

He married Marilee Fiebig, an attorney, on March 1, 2010, in Memphis, Tennessee. Their daughter, Sabine, was born in January 2013. The couple separated in August 2022.

In October 2024, Holmes ran in the Chicago Marathon. He injured his Achilles tendon between the 15th and 21st mile. He had to stop running the race.