Who is Karine Jean-Pierre’s former partner, Suzanne Malveaux?
KARINE Jean-Pierre made history as the first Black person and the first openly lesbian woman to be White House press secretary.
Since taking office in May 2022, Americans have wanted to know more about her and her personal life.
Who is Karine Jean-Pierre's former partner, Suzanne Malveaux?
Karine Jean-Pierre was in a relationship with Suzanne Malveaux.
The former couple first met at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, as reported by .
Outside of being Jean-Pierre's former partner, she is known for her career as a television news journalist.
For over 20 years, she worked for CNN and co-anchored Around the World and editions of CNN Newsroom.
She also served as a White House correspondent and as a primary substitute for Wolf Blitzer on The Situation Room.
Malveaux attended Harvard University, earning a degree in sociology, before attending Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
In January 2023, Malveaux announced that she was leaving CNN after two decades with the network.
She later explained that she had approached CNN months before to talk about "focusing on my family and possibly pursuing some new opportunities," and shared that the network supported her decision.
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Do Karine and Suzanne have kids?
While Jean-Pierre and Malveaux might have high-profile careers in Washington, that did not stop them from starting a family.
The two share a daughter named Soleil Malveaux Jean-Pierre who they adopted in 2014.
While Soleil might have prominent parents, little information is available on her personal life because she is kept out of the spotlight.
In September 2023, Jean-Pierre revealed in a profile that she and Malveaux had separated but have continued to co-parent Soleil.
“I’m a single mom who is co-parenting this amazing kid,” she said.
“Our number-one priority is her privacy and to make sure we create an environment that’s nurturing.”
What has Karine Jean-Pierre said about coming out?
Jean-Pierre shared part of her coming out story on Twitter in June 2021 in honor of Pride Month.
She : "I came out to my Mom when I was 16 years old. The revolted look on her face sent me running back into the proverbial closet and slamming the door shut. After that, my sexuality became a family secret and it would stay that way for years."
"I dated, but I hid those relationships from my family. Just as American society has evolved over the course of the past couple of decades to embrace the LGBTQ community (never forgetting we still have work to do), my family has evolved to embrace my membership in it."
According to a 2022 poll, 5.6% of Americans identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community with an even smaller percentage being Black women.
Jean-Pierre expressed her pride in her community, stating, "I’m proud to be an out Black Queer woman and I have been for quite some time. I’m happy to say, my Mother is now proud of ALL of who I am; she loves my partner and she loves being a doting grandmother to the daughter we are raising."
"My journey towards feeling accepted by myself and loved ones wasn’t an easy one, but it was worthwhile. No matter where you are in your journey, I see you, we see you and we celebrate you - Happy Pride!"
She said she first shattered that glass ceiling when she served as a staffer in the Obama administration.
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"What’s been wonderful is that I was not the only; I was one of many. President Obama didn’t hire LGBT staffers, he hired experienced individuals who happen to be LGBT," she said.
"Serving and working for President Obama where you can be openly gay has been an amazing honor."