Star Jones, one of the original hosts of ABC’s The View, will join Fox First Run’s Divorce Court starting in September, Stephen Brown, executive vice president of programming and development for Fox First Run and Fox Television Stations, said Monday.
“We’ve been very lucky to have had exceptionally talented judges helm Divorce Court,” Brown said in a statement. “Beginning next season, Star Jones will bring her life experiences, her knowledge as a litigator, and her forceful personality to that storied bench. She aspires to make the show more meaningful, more interactive and more impactful for the couples and we can’t wait.”
Besides her nine-year run on The View, Jones is an attorney, former New York City homicide prosecutor, business executive, best-selling author, National Volunteer for the American Heart Association and an Emmy-award nominated TV host who has worked in media and communications for 30 years.
Prior to being elevated to senior assistant district attorney in 1992, she was recruited by Court TV in 1991 to comment on the William Kennedy Smith trial. She went on to work as a legal correspondent for NBC's Today and NBC Nightly News. Jones has since appeared on various networks including NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and TruTV as a network correspondent, host, commentator and advocate.
“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 a NYC homicide prosecutor and assistant district attorney,“ Jones said in a statement. “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.
“As a fan of television's longest-running court show, 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. 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.”
Jones, who was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2017, is president of her own production company, Girlfriend Entertainment Productions Inc.
She holds a bachelor of arts degree in the administration of justice from American University in Washington, D.C., and a juris doctor from the University of Houston’s School of Law.
Divorce Court is currently sold in 205 markets, covering 98% of the country across various station groups including Fox, CBS, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Gray Television, Nexstar Media Group, Tegna, Scripps, Cox Media Group and The CW Plus.
Divorce Court is television‘s longest-running court show, reinventing itself three times on daytime TV (airing from 1957 to 1969, from 1985 to 1992 and currently, since 1999). It dates back to the late 1950s, when actors used to re-enact real divorce proceedings for television. Today, the program is composed of real people and real cases. Currently in its 23rd season, Divorce Court is produced in midtown Atlanta at Georgia Public Broadcasting Studios by Lincolnwood Productions. It is distributed by Fox First Run. Sonja Solomun is executive in charge.
