Soledad O’Brien Biography: Age, Husband, Children, Net Worth, Parents, Height, Documentary, Foundation

María de la Soledad Teresa O’Brien also known as Soledad O’Brien is a celebrated American broadcast journalist, executive producer, documentarian, speaker, author, and philanthropist known for her groundbreaking work anchoring CNN’s American Morning and Starting Point, producing award-winning documentaries on race, social justice, and empowerment, and founding Soledad O’Brien Productions and Starfish Media Group.

Quick Facts

  • Full Name: María de la Soledad Teresa O’Brien
  • Stage Name: Soledad O’Brien
  • Born: September 19, 1966
  • Age: 59 years old
  • Birthplace: St. James, New York, United States
  • Nationality: American
  • Ethnicity: Mixed (Afro-Cuban, Irish-Australian, Scottish)
  • Occupation: Broadcast Journalist, Executive Producer, Documentarian, Philanthropist
  • Height: 5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
  • Religion: Catholicism
  • Parents: Edward Ephrem O’Brien and Estela O’Brien
  • Siblings: Maria O’Brien, Cecilia Vega, Tony O’Brien, Estela Ogiste, Orestes O’Brien
  • Spouse: Brad Raymond
  • Children: Sofia Elizabeth Raymond, Cecilia Raymond, Charlie Raymond, Jackson Raymond
  • Relationship: Married
  • Net Worth: $12 million USD

Early Life and Education

María de la Soledad Teresa O’Brien was born on September 19, 1966, in St. James, New York, United States, on the North Shore of Long Island. She was brought up by her parents, Edward Ephrem O’Brien, a mechanical engineering professor at Stony Brook University, and Estela O’Brien (née Marquetti y Mendieta), a French and English teacher at Smithtown High School West, in a supportive yet resilient middle-class household.

Her father, an Australian of Irish and Scottish descent from Toowoomba, Queensland, and her mother, an Afro-Cuban immigrant from Havana who arrived in the U.S. at age 14, met as students at Johns Hopkins University; they married in Washington, D.C., in 1959 because interracial marriage was illegal in Maryland at the time.

As the fifth of six children, she grew up navigating her mixed heritage amid occasional racial challenges while benefiting from a strong family emphasis on education and achievement.

She has five siblings: Maria O’Brien, Cecilia Vega, Tony O’Brien, Estela Ogiste, and Orestes O’Brien, all of whom graduated from Harvard. Soledad attended Smithtown High School East, graduating in 1984, and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and American literature from Harvard University in 2000 after initially attending from 1984 to 1988.

Her ethnicity is mixed (Afro-Cuban, Irish-Australian, Scottish). Her religion is Catholicism, reflecting the strong faith and family values instilled by her devout Catholic parents, who attended daily Mass and emphasized resilience, education, and community.

Career

Soledad O’Brien began her professional path in local television, working as a producer and reporter at stations including WBZ-TV in Boston and KRON in San Francisco. Bootstrapped through talent and determination, she joined NBC News as a producer in 1991, became one of the early faces of MSNBC hosting The Site, and rose to national prominence at CNN, where she anchored American Morning and later Starting Point.

In 2013, she founded Starfish Media Group (later evolving into Soledad O’Brien Productions), a multi-platform company dedicated to authentic storytelling on social issues, race, and empowerment. She has produced award-winning documentaries, taught at Harvard, served on boards including the RAND Corporation, and continued impactful journalism across networks.

Remaining independent while building a respected production company, she inspires aspiring journalists and entrepreneurs from immigrant and middle-class backgrounds to use media for truth-telling, representation, and lifting up underrepresented voices.

Social Media

  • Instagram Handle: @soledadobrien
  • LinkedIn: Soledad O’Brien

Personal Life

Soledad O’Brien, 59 years old, maintains an active and family-centered life. Her height is 5 ft 5 in (165 cm). She married investment banker Brad Raymond in 1995; the couple has built a supportive partnership while raising four children: daughters Sofia Elizabeth (born October 2000) and Cecilia (born March 2002), and twin sons Charlie and Jackson (born August 2004).

They co-founded the PowHERful Foundation in 2011 to help young women attend and complete college through scholarships and mentoring conferences. Soledad prioritizes family time in New York, drawing strength from her Catholic faith, close sibling bonds, and the immigrant resilience modeled by her late parents (both passed in 2019). She often shares how her mixed heritage and large family shaped her empathy and drive for inclusive storytelling.

Net Worth

Soledad O’Brien‘s net worth is estimated at $12 million USD. Her income primarily comes from her long career in broadcast journalism at CNN, MSNBC, and NBC, executive producing and hosting documentaries through Soledad O’Brien Productions and Starfish Media Group, speaking engagements, book-related projects, and board or advisory roles.

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Dino also produced the Stephen King films “Dead Zone” (1983), “Firestarter” (1984), “Maximum Overdrive” (1985), “Silver Bullet” (1985), “Cat’s Eye” (1985), and “Sometimes They Come Back” (1990).Though De Laurentiis was primarily known for feature films, he produced an episode of the 1968 miniseries “Odissea” as well as the 1995 TV movies “Solomon & Sheba” and “Slave of Dreams.” He briefly worked as an actor, appearing in the films “L’orologio a cucù” (1938), “Heartbeat” (1939), “Department Store” (1939), “Small Hotel” (1939), “I Met You Too Late” (1940), “Boccaccio” (1940), and “The Last Fight” (1941). Dino also owned and operated the Italian specialty foods store DDL Foodshow, which had two New York locations and one in Los Angeles. De Laurentiis passed away in November 2010 at the age of 91.? Compare Dino De Laurentiis’ Net WorthEarly LifeDino De Laurentiis was born Agostino De Laurentiis on August 8, 1919, in Torre Annunziata, Kingdom of Italy. His father owned a pasta factory, and during his youth, Dino sold spaghetti made by the factory. De Laurentiis attended Rome’s Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia from 1937 to 1938, but his studies were interrupted when World War II began. Dino had an older brother named Luigi, who was also a film producer.CareerDe Laurentiis’ first film was 1940’s “L’ultimo Combattimento,” and by the end of the decade, he had produced “L’amore canta” (1941), “Return of the Black Eagle” (1946), “The Bandit” (1946), “The Captain’s Daughter” (1947), “Bullet for Stefano” (1947), “Bitter Rice” (1948), “The Street Has Many Dreams” (1948), and “The Wolf of the Sila” (1949). In the ’50s, Dino produced films such as “Anna” (1951), “Funniest Show on Earth” (1953), “The Unfaithfuls” (1953), “Woman of Rome” (1954), “An American in Rome” (1954), “Ulysses” (1955), “War and Peace” (1956), “Tempest” (1958), and “The Great War” (1959), and he won an Academy Award for 1954’s “La Strada,” which was directed by Federico Fellini. De Laurentiis produced more than 30 films in the ’60s, including “The Hunchback of Rome” (1960), “The Last Judgment” (1961), “The Best of Enemies” (1961), “Mafioso” (1962), “The Hills Run Red” (1966), “The Stranger” (1967), “The Witches” (1967), “Barbarella” (1968), and the 1966 John Hutson-directed epic “The Bible: In the Beginning,” which starred Ava Gardner, Peter O’Toole, and George C. Scott. He then produced “Waterloo” (1970), “The Valachi Papers” (1972), “The Assassin of Rome” (1972), “Serpico” (1973), and “Death Wish” (1974), and in 1976, he produced “King Kong,” which grossed $90.6 million against a $24 million budget. That year he also moved to America, and he became a U.S. citizen 10 years later.In the ’80s, Dino launched De Laurentiis Entertainment Group in Wilmington, North Carolina, and he is credited with bringing the film industry to the city, which came to be known as “Wilmywood” and “Hollywood East.” In 1990, he opened Dino De Laurentiis Communications in Los Angeles. De Laurentiis produced numerous horror movies in the ’80s and early ’90s, including “Halloween II” (1981), “Amityville II: The Possession” (1982), “Amityville 3-D” (1983), “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” (1983), “Trick or Treat” (1986), “Evil Dead II” (1987), “Army of Darkness” (1992), and several adaptations of Stephen King novels and short stories. Around this time, he also produced notable films such as “Flash Gordon” (1980), “Ragtime” (1981), “Conan the Barbarian” (1982), “Conan the Destroyer” (1984), “Dune” (1984), “Blue Velvet” (1986), and “King Kong Lives” (1986). De Laurentiis produced 1986’s “Manhunter,” which was based on Thomas Harris’ 1981 novel “Red Dragon,” the first book in his “Hannibal Lecter” series. Dino later produced three more films featuring Hannibal Lecter: “Hannibal” (2001), “Red Dragon” (2002), and “Hannibal Rising” (2007). In the late ’90s, De Laurentiis produced the films “Unforgettable” (1996), “Bound” (1996), and “Breakdown” (1997), and in the last decade of his life, he produced “U-571” (2000), “The Last Legion” (2007), and “Virgin Territory” (2007).Personal LifeAfter his first marriage was annulled, Dino married actress Silvana Mangano on July 17, 1949. Dino and Silvana had four children together, daughters Veronica, Raffaella, and Francesca and son Federico. Raffaella and Federico both became film producers, but sadly Federico died in a plane crash at the age of 26. De Laurentiis and Mangano divorced in 1988, and Silvana died the following year. Dino married producer Martha Schumacher on April 7, 1990, and they remained married until his death in 2010. Martha produced several films with Dino, such as “Breakdown” and “Hannibal,” and they had two daughters together, Dina and Carolyna. Famed chef Giada De Laurentiis is one of Dino’s grandchildren.DeathOn November 10, 2010, Dino passed away at his Beverly Hills home at the age of 91. According to his daughter Raffaella, De Laurentiis was surrounded by his family when he died. After Dino’s death, his granddaughter Giada paid tribute to him, telling “The Hollywood Reporter,” “My grandfather was a true inspiration. He was my biggest champion in life and a constant source for wisdom and advice. I will miss him dearly.”Awards and NominationsIn 1957, De Laurentiis won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for “La strada,” and in 2001, he was honored with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. Dino received eight David di Donatello Awards: Best Production (Migliore Produzione) for “Le notti di Cabiria” (1957), “Tutti a casa” (1961), “The Bible: In the Beginning…” (1966), and “Banditi a Milano” (1968), Best Film (Miglior Film) for “Waterloo” (1971), a Golden Plate (1965), a Cinecittà Award (2000), and a 50th Anniversary David (2006). He earned six nominations from the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists, winning the Silver Ribbon for Best Producer (Produttore del Miglior Film) for “La strada” in 1955, “Le notti di Cabiria” in 1958, and “Tutti a casa” and “Il gobbo” in 1961. De Laurentiis received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (1997) and the PGA Awards (2004), and he earned a Palm Springs International Film Festival Distinguished Achievement Award in 2000. 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