Van Jones is an American news and political commentator, published author, and legal practitioner with a net worth of $5 million. He was formerly married to his co-attorney, Jana Carter from 2005 to 2019 and they have tow sons together.
Van Jones is one of the many people to have appeared on CNN in the past few years to share their opinion on a wide range of topics. The news commentator earned his place on screen after having worked as a lawyer and political activist for a number of years, as well as serving as a Special Adviser for Green Jobs to U.S. President Barack Obama.
Van Jones tries to keep his personal life private, howbeit, on a few occasions, a few details of his personal life have surfaced in the media, piquing the interest of many into that aspect of his life. Now a divorcee, Van Jones has left much about his love life to speculations, but a few facts have made it to the fore.
| Age/Date of Birth: | 54 years old (20 September 1968) |
|---|---|
| Height: | 6 ft. 1 inch (1.85 m) |
| Ethnicity/Race: | African-American |
| Nationality: | American |
| Wife or Girlfriend: | Jana Carter |
| Parents: | Father: Willie Anthony Jones Mother: Loretta Jean Jones |
| Net Worth: | $5 million |
Van Jones and Jena Carter Were Married For Over A Decade
After Jones became a lot more in the media space, thus increasing his celebrity status, he kept a lot of things about his private life, “private.” It was however known that he was in 2005 married to a certain Jena Carter (Yes, she is from the famous Carter family). Nothing about their marriage made it to the news, thus it was widely thought that Jones was in one of those stable marriages that was poised to last forever…
But then came 2018 when word got out that Jones and his wife were going their separate ways. What could have happened to their long-standing marriage and why were they choosing to split after 13 solid years together? These were questions that returned with no answers.
The couple was not giving any details away. However, documents obtained in September 2018 by reputable publications revealed that it was Jena Carter who filed for the divorce. The couple was separated in May 2018.
Their Divorce Was Very Amicable
In Carter’s filing, she requested joint legal custody of their kids and spousal support, but this in no way means that there was any bad blood between the former couple.
This is evident in the fact that their divorce was finalized almost immediately after Carter’s filing. In Jones’s statement to PEOPLE, he emphasized that though he and Carter were ending their marriage, that they would still remain friends, and that they still loved each other dearly.
He also revealed that they would continue to raise their kids together and still remain involved in each other’s businesses and “supporting each other’s growth”.
Van Jones further verified this statement by taking to his Instagram page to post a photo of himself and Carter with the hashtag #FamilyForever. Carter does continue to work with him in a professional capacity.
She is the COO, director, and producer of Magic Labs Media, a production company owned by Van Jones under which he produces his CNN docuseries, The Redemption Project which aims to foster forgiveness and healing between victims and their offenders.
Per his words to Wendy Williams during his appearance on her eponymous show in 2019, Van Jones is in no hurry to resume dating, however, fans have already gone ahead to root for him to date Kim Kardashian after news emerged that she was divorcing Kanye West. Jones has known Kim for years and the duo even worked together, but a romantic relationship seems far-fetched.
What We Know About Van Jones’ Ex-Wife, Jena Carter
Though Van Jones is a more popular name compared to Jena Carter, Jena does have a more popular last name. She was born to William “Billy” Carter, the younger brother of America’s former president Jimmy Carter.
Billy who passed in 1988 due to pancreatic cancer shared 6 kids (Jena inclusive) with his wife Sybil Spires. Jena Carter’s year of birth is not publicly known but she does celebrate her birthday every January.
Like Van Jones, Jena Carter is an attorney, she obtained her J.D from the UC Berkeley School of Law after earning a political science degree from UC Santa Cruz. She also attended graduate school at Yale.
She worked with some law firms in California before her 2005 marriage to Van Jones. She has since not been active in the legal profession. She once served as the Director of Search for Common Ground’s USA Racial Healing program.
Carter graduated with a master’s degree in Theology in 2016 from Bethany Theological Seminary. She attends California’s Garden Church in California.
Van Jones Has Two Kids With His Former Wife, Jena Carter
Parenting seems to be a huge part of Van Jones’s life, something he made obvious when he got teary on live TV over Joe Biden’s win over Donald Trump at the 2020 US Presidential polls, stating how Biden’s win had made it “easier to be a parent and a dad” and to tell his kids that “character matters.”
With their divorce finalized, Van Jones and Jena Carter are now focused on raising their two sons together. They are named Mattai and Cabral Jones, however, due to the couple’s private life, it is not known when the kids were born.
It is known that their son Mattai was named after a Kenyan activist, the late Wangari Maathai who founded the Green Belt Movement focused on planting trees, environmental conservation, and women’s rights.
Jena Carter frequently takes to her Twitter account to share her opinion on environmental protection, political issues, immigration, and the likes. She is now dedicated to causes dear to her in addition to raising her sons, one of who plays soccer.
How CNN Van Jones’ Net Worth of $5 million Accrued
Van Jones’s net worth is $5 million and he earns a salary of $1 million but how did he get to the current level of his earnings?
Jones attended Jackson Central-Merry High School in Jackson, Tennessee. Upon completing his high school education in 1986, he enrolled at the University of Tennessee at Martin where he completed the requirements to be awarded a degree in Communication and Political Science.
Jones would later return to school in the early 90s to study law. He attended the prestigious Yale Law School, graduating with his Juris Doctor degree in 1993.
While still studying at the University of Tennessee at Martin, Van Jones interned at various news establishments as he nurtured interest to build a journalism career. Some of the news firms he worked with include the Nashville bureau of the Associated Press, Shreveport Times in Shreveport, Louisiana, and the Jackson Sun in Jackson, Tennessee.
He is also credited with starting several campus-based, independent publications at his alma mater.
As a student at Yale, after having decided against getting a journalism degree, Jones was among those selected to serve as legal observers in the trial of the four officers that beat up Rodney King in Los Angeles on March 3, 1991.
His work as a part of this team propelled him to move to San Francisco after graduating where he worked on various human rights and police brutality-related cases. He further founded quite a number of advocacy and non-governmental organizations to help push the cause.
Several years later, Van Jones, who had some time in the mid-2000s begun to pay interest to environmentalism and had served in the White House Council on Environmental Quality in the Obama Administration, found his way back to work in the media.
This happened when CNN brought him in as a co-host for its Crossfire show in 2013. Crossfire turned out to be unsuccessful and it was cancelled in the following year. This, however, did not deter Jones who continued to appear as a regular news commentator on the channel.
In 2016, he launched the news documentary series titled The Messy Truth on CNN. He then went on to create The Van Jones Show in 2018, whose first episode was widely viewed and featured none other than rap icon, Jay Z.
Apart from his endeavors as an attorney and news commentator, Van Jones is also the pioneer president of the advocacy project, Rebuild the Dream. He also serves as the President of The Dream Corps which aims to empower the vulnerable and less privileged members of society.
Jones’ apt writing skills can not be left out in his numerous abilities as the talented Tennessee native has authored several widely acclaimed books and articles. Two of his books – The Green Collar Economy and Rebuild the Dream, have gone on to become New York Times bestsellers. All of these endeavours bring him an average annual salary of $1 million.
In 2009, he was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. The following year, he received the NAACP President’s award to add to his long list of recognitions. In 2020, he was honoured with an Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Interactive Program.
FAQs
Is Van Jones Married?
Van Jones is currently unmarried, however, he was formerly married to an attorney named Jana Carter from 2005 to 2019.
Who is Van Jones’ Wife?
Van Jones does not have a wife at the moment. He was previously married to attorney Jana Carter, daughter of late William “Billy” Carter, the younger brother of America’s former president Jimmy Carter, and his wife Sybil Spires. Jana obtained her J.D from the UC Berkeley School of Law after earning a political science degree from UC Santa Cruz.
She also attended graduate school at Yale and worked with some law firms in California before her 2005 marriage to Van Jones. She has since not been active in the legal profession. She once served as the Director of Search for Common Ground’s USA Racial Healing program.
What Are the Names of Van Jones’ Kids?
Van jones has two sons with his ex-wife. They are named Mattai Jones and Cabral Jones. Sadly, due to the former couple’s private life, it is not known when the kids were born.
What is CNN Van Jones’s Net Worth?
The news and political commentator earns a salary of $1 million and has an estimated net worth of $5 million, thanks to his long, successful career in the media, working as a lawyer and political activist, and working for the Barrack Obama government. Apart from these, Jones also makes money from the sales of his books among other things.
Was CNN Van Jones Fired?
Van Jones is still working for the Cable News Network (CNN). According to his profile on the television channel’s website, “Van Jones is a CNN political commentator, regularly appearing across the network’s programming and special political coverage.”
| Profile Summary | |
|---|---|
| First Name: | Anthony |
| Last Name: | Jones |
| Also Known As: | Van Jones |
| Sex/Gender: | Male |
| Profession: | News commentator, author, and lawyer |
| Famous For: | Dream Corps (Nonprofit Organization) |
| Colleges/Universities Attended: | University of Tennessee at Martin (UT Martin), Yale Law School |
| Educational Qualifications: | BSc in Communication and Political Science, Juris Doctor (JD) |
| Religion: | Christianity |
| Birthday & Zodiac |
|
| Age/Date of Birth: | 54 years old (20 September 1968) |
| Zodiac Sign: | Virgo |
| Birth Place: | Jackson, Tennessee, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity/Race: | African-American |
| Country of Residence: | United States of America (USA) |
| Physical Attributes |
|
| Height: | 6 ft 1 inch (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | N/A |
| Eye Colour: | Brown |
| Hair Color: | Bald |
| Other Body Measurements: | N/A |
| Relationships | |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Spouse/Partner: | Jana Carter |
| Family and Relatives |
|
| Father: | Willie Anthony Jones |
| Mother: | Loretta Jean Jones |
| Children: | Mattai Jones, Cabral Jones |
| Siblings: | Angela Jones -Sister |
| Other Relatives: | N/A |
| Net Worth | |
| Estimated Net Worth: | $5 million |
| Salary: | $1 million |
| Source of Wealth: | Various career endeavor |
