Julie Chen | |
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Born |
Julie Suzanne Chen January 6, 1970 Queens, New York City, U.S. |
Education | University of Southern California |
Occupation |
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Years active | 1990–present |
Net worth | $50 million |
Spouse(s) | Leslie Moonves (m. 2004) |
Children | 1 |
Website | Official CBS Bio |
Julie Suzanne Chen (born January 6, 1970) is an American television personality, news anchor, and producer for CBS. She has been the host of the U.S. version of the CBS reality-television program Big Brother since its debut in July 2000 and is the longest-serving host of any country's version of the show. She is also a co-host and the moderator of the CBS daytime show The Talk. Previously, she was a co-anchor of The Early Show on CBS.
The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Julie Chen was born in Queens, New York City. Her grandfather, Lou Gaw Tong, was born in Penglai Village, Anxi County, Fujian, China and grew up "dirt poor" in rural China but managed to become affluent and ultimately became a polygamist who had nine wives and eleven children. Julie's mother, Wan Ling Chen, married a man named Yen Chun Chen "who could not be more opposite than who her father was", and the couple have been married for over 50 years. Julie has two older sisters, Gladys and Victoria.
Chen attended Junior High School in the Whitestone area of Queens. Unable to qualify for entrance to the prestigious Bronx High School of Science, the school attended by her older sisters, Chen instead went on to graduate from St. Francis Preparatory School in 1987. She attended the University of Southern California and graduated in 1991, majoring in broadcast journalism and English.