Jose Diaz-Balart via Instagram Jose Diaz-Balart and daughters
Jose Diaz-Balart is a well-known media personality who will be a prominent figure on Wednesday and Thursday night as he co-hosts the first 2020 Democratic National Debate alongside Chuck Todd, Lester Holt, Savannah Guthrie, and Rachel Maddow.
Anchor of NBC Nightly News Saturdays and Noticias Telemundo, the Cuban-American journalist shares his life with wife, Brenda. They’ve been married for over 17 years, have two daughters together, and reside in Miami, Florida.
Jose, 58, was born into a political family. His late father served in Cuba’s House of Representatives, and he is related through marriage to former President of Cuba, Fidel Castro. While Jose went into journalism, and brother Rafael Diaz-Balart is a banker two of his older siblings followed in their father’s political footsteps. Mario Diaz-Balart has been Republican congressman for Florida’s 25th district since 2003, and Lincoln Diaz-Balart served as Florida representative from 1993 to 2011. .
Here’s what you need to know about Jose Diaz-Balart’s family….
1. Jose Remains Madly in Love with His Wife
Jose has been married to his wife Brenda for nearly two decades, who is an American from Los Angeles, California. While Brenda, 51, largely remains out of the spotlight, and she has no social media accounts. However, she sometimes attends high profile events with her husband, who’s regularly traveling to report in the field.
Brenda’s husband makes it clear the his wife and children are his whole world, always captioning photos “Amor” (love) and “Con mi vida” (with my life). He credits their continuous love and support are what allows him to succeed in the media world. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Joe is worth an estimated $5 million.
2. Jose is Raising His Two Daughters to Be Bi-Lingual
While Jose also keeps the identities of his daughters tightly under wraps, as a proud father, he can’t help but post pictures of them. Together, they’ve gone on vacations all over world. There are pictures of Jose’s family of Instagram showing them traveling to Las Vegas, Vienna, Greece, and Spain.
Jose is proud of his Cuban heritage and even though both his daughters were born in America, he is making sure they grow up with knowledge of both English and Spanish. He told Parent Toolkit, “We’ve been working on it since before they were born, actually. In that sense I’m very aware and appreciative that I inherited from my parents the knowledge that speaking multiple languages can only be a benefit. I wish I spoke more than two languages. Even so, it’s been a very clear commitment on my wife and my parts for years.”
3. He Is Related to Fidel Castro Through Marriage
Jose’s aunt Mirta Diaz-Balart, his father’s sister, was Fidel Castro’s first wife, however, they divorced before he came to power in Cuba. Together they had one son, Fidel “Fidelito” Castro Diaz-Balart, who had three children with wife Natalia Smirnov, and committed suicide at age 68.
4. His Late Father Rafael was a Cuban Politician
Rafael Diaz-Balart was a Senator and served as the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives under Fulgencio Batista’s regime as a Progressive Action Party member. During the Cuban Revolution in 1959, he went into exile and fled to the United States, where he made Florida his home.
Married to Hilda Caballero Brunet, he had four children, Mario, Lincoln, Rafael, and Jose. After being diagnosed with leukemia, Rafael passed away in Key Biscayne, Florida, on May 5, 2006. He was 79.
5. Jose Is Incredibly Close with His Mother Hilda
While Jose lost his father nearly 13 years ago, he remains incredibly close with his mother, Hilda. Because she was already a public figure married to his politician father, Jose freely shares photo on him and his mother on Instagram, including adorable throwbacks from when he was just a small child.
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