MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

The Rebirth of Karine Jean-Pierre: How a sister's love saved WH press secretary from brink of suicide

“The fact that I actually tried to take my own life is so shameful and agonizing to me that I have never had the nerve to broach the subject with Edwine,” she noted

Karine Jean-Pierre has been appointed as the new White House press secretary, making her not only the first black woman but also the first openly gay person to hold the position. However, to be so open about her sexuality was reportedly not so easy for the 44-year-old author of Haitian heritage, who got a second chance at life because of her sister, Edwine.

Jean-Pierre is currently in a relationship with 55-year-old journalist Suzanne Malveaux, whom she met in 2012 at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. The pair share a seven-year-old daughter together.

READ MORE

Karine Jean-Pierre: MSNBC-bound Jen Psaki may be replaced by first LGBTQ Black woman press secretary

Jen Psaki tears up as she welcomes Karine Jean-Pierre as WH press secretary, despite CNN link

In her 2019 book — titled ‘Moving Forward: A Story of Hope, Hard Work, and the Promise of America’ — the Martinique-born describes how she tried to kill herself while listening to Mary J. Blige's ‘Everlasting Love’ but her sister saved her. “To this day, no one in my family has ever talked to me about my suicide attempt. The fact that I actually tried to take my own life is so shameful and agonizing to me that I have never had the nerve to broach the subject with Edwine,” Jean-Pierre wrote while noting she still feels “terrible about what I put Edwine through”.

Also, in June 2021, the French-American political campaign organizer shared the issues she faced while coming out as gay. Taking to Twitter, she wrote: “I came out to my Mom when I was 16 years old. The revolted look on her face sent me running back into the proverbial closet and slamming the door shut. After that, my sexuality became a family secret and it would stay that way for years. I dated, but I hid those relationships from my family. Just as American society has evolved over the course of the past couple of decades to embrace the LGBTQ community (never forgetting we still have work to do), my family has evolved to embrace my membership in it.”

She continued: “I’m proud to be an out Black Queer woman and I have been for quite some time. I’m happy to say, my Mother is now proud of ALL of who I am; she loves my partner and she loves being a doting grandmother to the daughter we are raising,” before adding: “My journey towards feeling accepted by myself and loved ones wasn’t an easy one, but it was worthwhile. No matter where you are in your journey, I see you, we see you and we celebrate you  - Happy Pride! 🌈#Pride.”

Jean-Pierre also stated in her book that her struggles with her sexuality got mixed with her failure in pre-med exams at the New York Institute of Technology on Long Island. She wrote: “I felt like an idiot. Thanks in large part to my inability to confront my sexuality, I was so afraid of who I really was that I invested absolutely everything into who my parents and siblings thought I was and wanted me to be. Becoming a doctor was to be my saving grace. I had always clung to it as if it were a life raft. So when I failed at this one thing, my entire world crumbled. I wanted to die.”

Meanwhile, Jean-Pierre has been welcomed whole-heartedly by the White House as President Joe Biden said: “Karine not only brings the experience, talent and integrity needed for this difficult job, but she will continue to lead the way in communicating about the work of the Biden-Harris administration on behalf of the American people.”

Jen Psaki, who will leave the press secretary job on May 13, also added: “Representation matters and she is going to give a voice to so many and show so many what is truly possible when you work hard and dream big.”

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).