Star Jones

Star Jones – Life, Career, and Memorable Quotes

Dive into the life of Star Jones (born March 24, 1962) — from Brooklyn prosecutor to TV personality, author, and advocate. Learn about her journey, challenges, legacy, and powerful quotes.

Introduction

Starlet “Star” Jones (born March 24, 1962) is an American lawyer, television personality, author, fashion designer, and advocate. Best known as one of the original co-hosts of The View, Jones has navigated careers in law, media, and entertainment, while also grappling publicly with health, image, and personal reinvention. Her story is one of ambition, visibility, risk, and resilience.

Early Life, Education & Family

Star Jones was born in Badin, North Carolina, but grew up in Trenton, New Jersey with her mother and stepfather.

She graduated from Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, NJ. American University, earning a B.A. in the administration of justice. J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1986 and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1987.

Her early legal work included service as a prosecutor in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office (Brooklyn), where she progressed to senior assistant DA.

Career & Achievements

Transition to Media & Television

In 1991, Jones began working as a commentator for Court TV, covering legal trials such as the William Kennedy Smith rape trial. Today and NBC Nightly News.

In 1994, Jones launched her own syndicated court show, Jones & Jury, which ran for one season (1994–1995).

Her most high-profile role began in 1997, when she became one of the original panelists on the ABC talk show The View. She remained a co-host until 2006 (nine seasons).

After The View, Jones hosted a self-titled live talk show on truTV from 2007 to 2008. Divorce Court.

Jones also authored books:

• You Have to Stand for Something, or You’ll Fall for Anything (1998)

• Shine: A Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey to Finding Love (2006)

• Satan’s Sisters (2011) — a roman à clef about personalities on a fictional daytime talk show

Public Health Journey & Advocacy

Jones has been open about her health struggles. In 2003, she underwent gastric bypass surgery, losing a significant amount of weight. For some time, she did not disclose the surgery publicly, citing fears over public judgment.

In recent years, Jones revealed that she was diagnosed with heart disease and underwent open-heart surgery. She has described this as transformative—refusing to take her health for granted.

Through her journey, she has become an advocate for heart health awareness, particularly among women.

Personality, Strengths & Challenges

Star Jones is ambitious, outspoken, and media-savvy. Her career reflects a willingness to move across domains—from law to television to literature.

She has faced public scrutiny over weight, image, and transparency. Her decision to hide her bypass surgery for years was controversial, but in later years she has embraced candidness about health, aging, and identity.

Her resilience in the face of health crises, public criticism, and career shifts highlights a capacity for reinvention and advocacy.

Famous Quotes by Star Jones

Here are some notable and candid quotes from Star Jones:

“Sometimes when, you know, God tries to correct you in private and if you don’t catch it He’ll correct you in public.” “The toughest part was doing it in front of the world and recognizing that you had gotten to a point where if you didn’t do something you were going to die.” “Yes and, you know, I can’t use the nice words anymore because I used to chicken out by using them. I used to call myself plus size … chubby … overweight.” “I’m not ashamed that I need glasses for distance. I did not feel like I needed to have all of that hair … or the extra lashes or the heavy makeup.”

These quotes reflect her struggle with self-image, courage in vulnerability, and the challenge of living publicly under scrutiny.

Lessons from Star Jones

1. Embrace transparency and authenticity
   Initially, Jones concealed aspects of her health journey. Later, she chose openness—and through that, reclaimed her voice and influence.

2. Adaptability is vital
   Her shifts from law to media to authorship show that a public career may require reinvention across contexts.

3. Health is not optional
   Her near-death experience underscores that success means little if personal well-being is ignored.

4. Use your platform for advocacy
   Jones turned personal struggle into public work, especially in raising awareness about heart disease among women.

5. Courage matters
   In confronting public judgments, she has often spoken harsh truths rather than relying on pleasant platitudes.

Conclusion

Star Jones’s path is far from conventional. She broke ground in law and television, grappled with body image and disclosure, and emerged as a voice for women’s health and honesty. Her story urges us to reckon with the costs of visibility—and to use that visibility purposefully.

If you’d like, I can also prepare a timeline of her career highlights or deeper analysis of one of her books. Would you like me to do that?