Karine Jean-Pierre gives a rare glimpse into her parenting journey
About a year and a half into Biden's presidency, Jean-Pierre was announced as the White House press secretary, the first Black and openly gay person to hold the position.
Karine Jean-Pierre is a very busy woman, still figuring out how to balance it all.
Jean-Pierre joined Joe Biden’s campaign in 2020 as a senior adviser before transitioning to Vice President Kamala Harris’ chief of staff. Fast forward to about a year and a half into Biden’s presidency: Then, she was announced as the White House press secretary – the first Black person and first openly gay person to hold the position.
In a rare personal interview with Vogue, Jean-Pierre — who shares a 9-year-old child, Soleil, with former CNN national correspondent Suzanne Malveaux — talked about how she’s navigating motherhood while juggling her historic role. And it turns out, it’s not easy.
“We talk about her feelings all the time,” Jean-Pierre shared, noting that she’s committed to openly communicating with her daughter. “I ask her all the time, ‘Are you happy? How’s it going?’ And she’ll tell me.”
Jean-Pierre’s nanny arrives at her house fairly early, she said, acknowledging her importance to the family’s hectic schedule. The dedicated press secretary arrives at the White House promptly at 7 a.m. and begins preparing for her 8:15 first in-person meeting, with the White House chief of staff, Jeff Zients.
She constantly faces brutal, sometimes terrifying treatment on social media. However, Jean-Pierre said she’s never encountered somebody “nasty” in public and maintains she doesn’t live her life in fear, despite the concerns of the people around her.
However, when it comes to her daughter, that’s a different story.
Malveaux initiated the adoption process for Soleil shortly after she and Jean-Pierre started dating. While having a child was “a thousand percent” not on her to-do list, being a mother has helped Jean-Pierre become more motivated, she admitted.
“I’m a single mom who is co-parenting this amazing kid,” she said, acknowledging that she and Malveaux have split. “Our number-one priority is [Soleil’s] privacy and to make sure we create an environment that’s nurturing.”
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