NEWSKarine Jean-Pierre Splits From Ex-CNN Anchor Partner After Over 10 Years Together
Sept. 7 2023, Published 5:08 p.m. ET
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is riding solo, as she recently revealed she has separated from journalist Suzanne Malveaux, her partner of more than 10 years.
"I'm a single mom who is co-parenting this amazing kid," Jean-Pierre told Vogue in an interview, adding that the two are sharing custody of their 9-year-old daughter, Soleil. "Our number-one priority is her privacy and to make sure we create an environment that's nurturing."
Karine Jean-Pierre is the first openly gay woman in her role.
The former flames met at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Malveaux, who was a correspondent for CNN at the time, was covering the event while Jean-Pierre was working on President Barack Obama's re-election campaign.
“We met at a donor party being held in a nightclub,” Jean-Pierre, who is the first openly gay woman in her role, wrote in her 2019 memoir Moving Forward. “I know it’s a cliché, but the truth is, I spotted her across a crowded dance floor.”
They moved in together in early 2014, and the TV star left her job after Jean-Pierre was promoted from deputy press secretary to principal press secretary.
Jean-Pierre told the fashion outlet that she was not planning on having a child, but Malveaux had already started the adoption process. (Jean-Pierre formally adopted Soleil years later.) "I think that's one of the reasons I left to do campaigns," she explained. "Because it took me away from the responsibilities of home."
The two first got together in 2012.
Now, she has a different view on parenting.
"Everything that we do, being led by the president, is going to matter, not just today, but tomorrow and for the rest of our lives," Jean-Pierre said. "What we do is certainly going to change the trajectory of her life."
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As OK! previously reported, Jean-Pierre has made headlines for her press briefings, as she has gotten into fights with other reporters and slipped up once or twice.
Jean-Pierre recently fought back after one reporter asked her about President Joe Biden's COVID testing regimen since his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, tested positive for the virus a few days ago.
"There should be no confusion. We just explained that he tested — I just explained he tested yesterday," she snapped back this week. "I just explained it. I literally just explained it. CDC does not recommend testing every day. We’re following CDC guidance. I don’t have anything else for you. That is the answer that I’m giving you: in close consultation with his physician. The CDC does not recommend testing every day. That’s it."
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However, she takes it all in stride.
"I take none of it personally," she said. "I'm representing the president, so petty is just not on the menu."
