Who is Amy Coney Barrett's husband? A look at SCOTUS nominee's love story with Jesse Barrett and their 7 children
Dark clouds hovered on September 18 as the world woke up to a rude shock. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died from metastatic cancer at her home in Washington surrounded by family. She was 87. As the nation mourned the loss of “a resolute champion of justice,” Amy Coney Barrett's name sprung up.
The 48-year-old lawyer, jurist, and academic — who serves as a circuit judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit — is a favorite among religious conservatives. She was on President Donald Trump’s potential nominee list after her 2017 confirmation hearing for a seat on the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. At that time, Democrats cited her deep Catholic faith, not as an advantage but an obstacle.
As per The New York Times, Trump has selected her and “will try to force Senate confirmation before Election Day in a move that would significantly alter the ideological makeup of the Supreme Court for years.” According to six people close to the process who did not want to disclose their identity, POTUS reportedly plans to announce his decision on Saturday, September 26. “I haven’t said it was her, but she is outstanding,” Trump told reporters who asked about Barrett’s imminent nomination at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington.
Amid all the political fiasco that Trump's decision could create, here's a look at her personal life and the truth about her husband, Jesse Barrett.
A love story for the ages
Amy fell in love with fellow Notre Dame Law graduate Jesse M Barrett, a partner at South Bank Legal in South Bend, Indiana and the pair have been married since 1999. One former colleague from Notre Dame Law School told Politico, “She was kind of the Manchurian candidate,” adding, “She’s been groomed for this moment all the way along.”
As per Bustle, she introduced him to the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2017 when she was up for confirmation to the US Court of Appeals in 2017. “I hit the jackpot when I married him. We have been married 18 years, with each year better than the last,” Coney Barrett told the committee. Devout Catholics, the two share similar views and are members of a controversial church called People of Praise which asks members to take a “lifetime loyalty 'covenant', encourages female submission to their husbands,” as reported by Daily Mail. Not just that, the church is also said to have been an inspiration behind 'The Handmaid's Tale'.
One of the only times Jesse has addressed his relationship with Coney Barrett in public was at her investiture to the US Court of Appeals hosted by Notre Dame. “There is one thing that hasn’t changed — it is humbling to be married to Amy Barrett,” he told the crowd, according to an article published by the school.
Who is Jesse Barrett?
An alum of both the University of Notre Dame (1996) and the Notre Dame Law School (1999), he served as the editor-in-chief of the Notre Dame Law Review. An adjunct professor at his alma mater, he teaches trial skills and criminal law, as per his South Bank Legal bio.
He worked as Assistant United States Attorney at United States Department of Justice for the Northern District of Indiana, South Bend Division since 2005. As per South Bank, his practice focused on complex commercial litigation, internal investigations, and white-collar criminal defense. The bio also reads: "During his 13 years as a federal prosecutor, he led investigations into a wide variety of cases, including commercial fraud, tax violations, insurance fraud, identity theft, mail and wire fraud, and public corruption. He has tried over 20 cases to jury verdict and has handled numerous appeals, including arguments in the Seventh Circuit and the Indiana Supreme Court. Jesse received awards for his service from multiple federal agencies."
He also "coaches high school mock trial, and his teams have won the Indiana state tournament and competed in the national competition," as per the same description.
Raising seven children together
Longtime South Bend residents, Jesse and Amy are parents to seven children: Emma (19), Vivian (16), Tess (16), John Peter (13), Liam (11), Juliet (9), and Benjamin (8). Two of the couple’s children were born in Haiti, and their youngest one has Down Syndrome.
“Emma is 16. The first apple of our eye,” Barrett told the Judiciary Committee about her three eldest daughters back in 2017. “Vivian, directly next to Emma, is 13. Vivian is our miracle. Vivian joined our family… She was born in Haiti. She came home when she was 14-months-old, and she weighed 11 pounds and she was so weak we were told she might never walk normally or speak. Today Vivian is a track star, and I assure you she has no trouble talking. Tess, sitting next to Vivian, is also 13-years-old. Both in 8th grade. She’s one of the most compassionate and determined people that I know.”
She also spoke about the other kids. “Our four children at home are with friends and fearless babysitters. John Peter is 10. He was born in Haiti. He joined our family in 2010 when he was three years old after the devastating earthquake,” she said. “Liam is 8. Typically curious 8-year-old. And Juliet is our spunky 6-year-old. Benjamin, our youngest, is five. He has special needs. That presents unique challenges for all of us. But I think all you need to know about Benjamin’s place in the family is summed up by the fact the other children unreservedly identify him as their favorite sibling.”