Star Jones to serve as new host, judge on ‘Divorce Court’ in daytime TV return
“I will offer the parties before Divorce Court, as well as viewers, a no-nonsense approach to the law," Jones said.
Daytime television veteran Star Jones will take over for Judge Faith Jenkins as the new host and judge for Divorce Court.
Jones will preside over divorce proceedings on the show, which is the longest-running court show on television with 38 seasons.
“Before I was the legal correspondent for NBC News covering high-profile trials and conducting exclusive jailhouse interviews, I spent six years in a Brooklyn courtroom as an NYC homicide prosecutor and assistant district attorney,” Jones said in a statement, according to PEOPLE.
“Since the beginning of my TV career, it’s been my mission to serve as a voice for the voiceless; and after more than 30 consecutive years on television and in people’s homes, that remains true,” she added.
“I was honored to be considered to take over the ‘Divorce Court’ TV bench, following in the footsteps of three incredible women, Judge Mablean Ephriam, Judge Lynn Toler, and Judge Faith Jenkins,” Jones noted.
In her statement, Jones concluded by saying, “I will offer the parties before Divorce Court, as well as viewers, a no-nonsense approach to the law and a decision driven by my proven legal expertise, compassion and empathy, personal experiences and hard-earned common sense.”
In addition to her time as a legal correspondent for NBC, Jones, 59, was the first Black person and the first woman to serve as a TV arbitrator on the short-lived court show, Jones & Jury. In 1997, she joined The View as one of the original co-hosts and stayed with the show until 2006. She has also appeared as a commentator, host, and advocate on several networks including NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and TruTV.
“We’ve been very lucky to have had exceptionally talented judges helm ‘Divorce Court.’ Beginning next season, Star Jones will bring her life experiences, her knowledge as a litigator, and her forceful personality to that storied bench,” Stephen Brown, executive vice president of programming and development for Fox First Run and Fox Television Stations, said in a statement. “She aspires to make the show more meaningful, more interactive, and more impactful for the couples and we can’t wait.”
Jones is a graduate of American University and earned her Juris Doctorate at the University of Houston.
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