Van Jones is a father of three!
The CNN political commentator announced on Saturday that he and a longtime friend welcomed a daughter together earlier this month.
“After COVID lockdown, I got clear that I wanted another kid. I discovered that my friend Noemi also wanted a baby,” Jones told TODAY Parents in a statement. “So, we decided to join forces and become conscious co-parents. It’s a concept that I hope will more people will explore and consider.”
Jones, 53, said that he and Noemi will raise their little girl “as coparenting partners.” (Jones is not revealing Noemi's last name.)
“This is a special time for our families,” he added. “I feel grateful, joyful and blessed. As we create a safe and loving environment for this blessed young soul, I respectfully ask for privacy. Thank you for all the love and support.”
The broadcast journalist shares two sons with his ex-wife, Jana Carter. He and Carter split in 2018 after 13 years of marriage.
Jones broke down in tears on live television in 2020 after it was announced that Joe Biden had defeated Donald Trump to become the 46th president of the United States.
“It’s easier to be a parent this morning, it’s more easy to be a dad,” he said. “It’s easier to tell your kids that character matters. It matters. Telling the truth matters, being a good person matters.”
Jones isn’t the only CNN personality raising a child with a platonic partner. Anderson Cooper announced last week that he and his best friend, Benjamin Maisani, welcomed their 2nd child together, a boy named Sebastian Luke.
Sebastian, like his 22-month-old brother, Wyatt, will be raised by both Cooper and Maisani.
“We are co-parents,” Cooper explained to viewers. “Wyatt calls me Daddy, and Benjamin is Papa.”
In 2021, Cooper noted that he and Maisani have what some might consider "an unusual setup.”
“But I knew he would would a great dad, and he is,” Cooper told People. “We’re exes, but we’re family to each other, and we love each other as family and as co-parents.”
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