Van Jones on Co-Parenting 2 Kids With Ex-Wife Jana Carter: ‘There Is No Beef or Drama — Just Evolution’
CNN political contributor and activist Van Jones served as President Barack Obama‘s special advisor for green jobs in 2009 and as a distinguished visiting fellow at Princeton University. He will also be receiving $100 million from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos as part of a new initiative by Bezos, the Courage and Civility Award. The award will recognize his advocacy work. Aside from his work and philanthropic endeavors, Jones has also received some media attention recently due to rumors that he is dating Kim Kardashian. The rumor mill has been in overdrive speculating about the nature of their relationship, and this has led to an interest in his personal life. Naturally, people have wondered about Van Jones’ ex-wife, Jana Carter, and their kids.
Van Jones and his ex-wife share two kids
Jones and his ex-wife share two sons named Mattai and Cabral. Mattai was named after the late Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan who was an activist and founded the Green Belt Movement that promoted planting trees, environmental conservation, and women’s rights. In general, he keeps details about his children extremely private and tries to keep them out of the limelight as much as he can.
In 2016, Jones famously took the news of Trump’s victory very hard when he speculated about how he would break the news to his children on CNN. He said:
“It’s hard to be a parent, tonight, for a lot of us. You tell your kids, don’t be a bully. You tell your kids, don’t be a bigot. And then, you have this outcome. How do I explain this to my children? This was a ‘white-lash.’ This was a ‘white-lash’ against a changing country. It was a ‘white-lash’ against a Black president, in part.”
Jones and Carter are committed to co-parenting following their divorce
Jones was married to Carter for 13 years prior to their divorce filing in 2018. Carter is the niece of the 39th president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, and she currently works as the director of operations for Magic Labs Media. She is also the owner of Kidpacking, an online store that sells hiking equipment.
When Carter and Van Jones split, they shared that though the marriage had ended, their role as parents continued and that they would be co-parenting their kids after the divorce. The divorce was amicable and the pair still share photos of each other on social media at times.
“Though we have decided to end our marriage, we still love each other very much,” the couple said in a statement at the time, according to People. “We will continue raising our kids together, running our businesses together and supporting each other’s growth. There is no beef or drama — just evolution.”
Van Jones and Kim Kardashian have both denied rumors that they’re dating
The rumor mills have been abuzz in 2021 over speculation that Jones is dating Kim Kardashian. Since Kardashian’s divorce from Kanye West, many have wondered if the two would be an item. The pair met three months after Kardashian successfully lobbied for clemency for Alice Marie Johnson, a 63-year-old grandmother who was serving a life sentence in prison for nonviolent drug offenses.
Since then, Kardashian and Jones have spoken almost lovingly about each other when being interviewed. In an interview with Andy Cohen, the Insider says Kardashian denies the rumor and says that Jones has thanked her for the attention, and that he has gotten so many dates thanks to the attention. Kardashian has also been rumored to be dating Maluma, a Colombian singer and songwriter with whom she has been seen.
It seems that even if the pair is not a romantic item, they certainly are fast friends. Jones will most certainly continue his work as a political commentator and social advocate. Kardashian seems content for now just to be single and untethered to any romantic interests. Clearly, if the two ever come out together as a couple, it will be no surprise as the rumor mills have had them dating for quite some time now.
