Image credits: Wikimedia Commons
Julie Chen Moonves
January 6, 1970
Queens, New York City, US
56 Years Old
Capricorn
Who Is Julie Chen Moonves?
Julie Suzanne Chen Moonves is an American television personality known for her composed on-screen presence and versatile hosting skills. She has carved a significant niche in both news and reality television.
Her breakout moment arrived in 2000 as the host of the reality-television program Big Brother, a role she has maintained consistently. This enduring position cemented her status as an iconic figure in unscripted entertainment.
Early Life and Education
Born in Queens, New York City, Julie Chen Moonves grew up as the daughter of Chinese immigrants. Her maternal grandfather, Lou Gaw Tong, was a self-made businessman who became wealthy through grocery stores.
She attended St. Francis Preparatory School before graduating from the University of Southern California in 1991. There, she earned a double degree in broadcast journalism and English, laying the foundation for her broadcasting career.
Notable Relationships
A string of high-profile romances has marked Julie Chen Moonves’s personal life, culminating in her marriage to former CBS executive Les Moonves. Earlier in her career, she was engaged to news editor Gary Donahue.
She shares one son, Charlie Moonves, with Les Moonves. Julie Chen Moonves also became stepmother to Moonves’s three children from his previous marriage.
Career Highlights
Julie Chen Moonves’s career is defined by her enduring role as the host of the US version of the Big Brother series since its 2000 debut. She remains the longest-tenured host in the global franchise’s history, presiding over every season.
Beyond reality television, she anchored segments on CBS’s The Early Show from 2002 to 2010 and moderated the popular daytime talk program The Talk for eight years until 2018.
Chen Moonves has also been recognized as a trailblazer for Asian American women in media, impacting representation across the industry.
Signature Quote
"I must live with every decision that I've made and it got me to where we are today. And I'm not going to look back."