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Jim Acosta is a veteran American journalist with Cuban roots who presently works for CNN as their White House Chief Correspondent. He has worked for CBS before joining CNN in 2007 and was dismissed by then President-elect Donald Trump as being “fake news.” Read more about his family, wife and why he divorced his wife after being married for 24 years.
Jim Acosta Biography
The American journalist was born on the 17th of April 1971 as Abilio James Acosta in Washington, D.C but he grew up in Annandale, Virginia, along with his parents. Jim Acosta is of a mixed ancestry as his father is of Cuban descent and emigrated from Cuba to the United States following the Cuban Missile Crisis at the age of 11. His mother (Jim Acosta), on the other hand, belongs to Irish and Czech origins.
Acosta attended high school in his neighborhood – Annandale High School in Annadale, Virginia. After graduating in 1989, he enrolled for college at the James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He graduated in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and a minor in Political Science.
Media Career – CBS, CNN
After graduating in 1993, Jim Acosta started working at the Washington-based commercial AM news/talk radio station called WMAL; that was where he began his career as a journalist. The following year, in 1994, he moved to television when he got a job with Fox-owned WTTG-TV as a desk assistant but he was not satisfied with the position and wanted to be part of the action and so, he and joined WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee as a reporter and also worked as a TV host sometimes. This seemed like what he was gunning for, thus, he stayed at the job for three years before leaving in 1998 to work for Dallas-based KTVT-TV (1998-2000) and Chicago-based WBBM-TV (2000-2001) as a reporter.
While at WBBM, Jim Acosta got an offer from CBS where he later worked as a correspondent, covering both Dallas and Chicago. With CBS, Jim reported on the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, the presidential campaign of John Kerry in 2004, among others. His job with CBS came to an end when CNN came calling in 2007.
His first assignment after joining CNN in April 2007 was the presidential campaigns of and – both Democratic presidential aspirants in 2008. He hosted the CNN show, “Ballot Bowl” a political show which airs on the weekends and served as a correspondent for “American Morning.”
He became CNN’s National Political Correspondent in February 2012 before serving as the senior White House correspondent for CNN – a position which has seen Jim Acosta question US presidents on their policies. One such example was in 2015 when he popped a question directly to the then-US president, about his ISIS battle strategy policy. He would later be promoted to CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent in 2018. His Cuban roots became an asset when he had to cover the historic visit of ex-President Obama to Cuba in March 2016.
In January 2017, US President, labeled CNN as “fake news” in his first press conference as President-elect of the United States of America as he refused to take questions from Jim Acosta who was among the journalists in the press room.
Wife, Divorce, Children
The veteran journalist is currently single but has been divorced from his wife of 24 years. Jim Acosta had been married to his college sweetheart, Sharon Mobley Stow, in 1993. They met while at the James Maddison University and dated all through their years in school. The love-struck couple headed straight to the altar in holy matrimony just some months after they concluded their studies at the University.
After a long wait, the union was blessed with three children – two daughters and a son. The beautiful kids were not strong a bond enough to hold the marriage together as in 2017, Acosta and his wife, Sharon, who is a registered nurse, called it quits on the marital union which had been on for 24 years (1993 – 2017). Till date, the couple has remained silent on their reason for breaking up. They have not talked about it on any show or giving any interviews to that regard as they remain tight-lipped on the issue.
Is Jim Acosta Gay?
The only relationship associated with Jim Acosta has been that of his now-estranged wife, Sharon Mobley Stow. They were married between 1994 and 2017 and had kids together as mentioned before. So, it is difficult to tell if he has any secret gay affair as he is now single and seems to be enjoying his life as it is. The question of Jim Acosta’s sexuality – if he is gay or straight – arises from the fact that he is divorced from his wife of 24 years with no reason given for the separation. But for now, it is safe to say that Jim Acosta is not gay.
Quick Facts
Name: Abilio James Acosta
Known as: Jim Acosta
Profession: Journalist
Birth Date: April 17, 1971
Horoscope: Aries
Nationality: American
Spouse: Sharon Mobley Stow (div. 2017)
Children: 3
Net Worth: $2 million
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Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.