You’ve probably seen this familiar face on your screen, handling some of the biggest news stories with grace and confidence—Jericka Duncan, the Emmy-nominated, award-winning journalist who’s been in the game for almost two decades. But let’s take a step back from her powerful presence in the newsroom. Jericka graduated from Ohio University with a degree in communications before kicking off her career in Little Elmira, N.Y. Since then, she’s worked her way up to delivering hard-hitting stories, and we’ve loved watching every moment of it.
Now, here’s where things get interesting. Off-screen, you might assume that someone as accomplished as Jericka is married, right? Well, guess again. The 44-year-old anchor is not only unmarried but is absolutely owning her role as a single mom, all while keeping the details of her life tightly under wraps.
At one point, the rumor mill was buzzing with whispers linking her to Dray Clark. But as rumors go, neither of them confirmed or denied anything, leaving us all to speculate.
So, with all that mystery surrounding her personal life, everyone’s left wondering: What’s the real story behind her daughter? And how does Jericka manage to juggle being a mom while keeping us all updated on the latest headlines?
She Was Pregnant While Landing a Major CBS News Role
Jericka’s rise in journalism came with its own set of unexpected challenges. In one of her career’s most pivotal moments, she found herself facing a personal crossroads—accepting a new role at CBS Newspath while being five to six months pregnant. And believe it or not, she kept it hidden. As she put it, “…I was five, six months pregnant, and hiding it. Because I didn’t want anybody to know. I wasn’t married here.”
At such a personal and professional turning point, she took the bold step of meeting with CBS’s then-president, David Rhodes, to openly discuss her pregnancy. To her relief, he reassured her that many women at CBS had successfully juggled motherhood and their careers. This support proved pivotal, as she later reflected that the experience was “the best thing that could have happened to me at that time.”
Is There Anything About Her Baby Daddy?
Jericka is a proud mom to her daughter, Journey, born in 2014. However, when it comes to the identity of Journey’s father, she has kept that aspect of her life completely private.
That said, she doesn’t hesitate to share heartwarming moments from their family life. For instance, she once posted about her daughter’s participation in “Kindness 101,” expressing her gratitude for the class led by Steve Hartman of CBS. She included a caption celebrating her daughter’s letter to healthcare workers fighting COVID-19.
Kindness 101 graduate, my 6-year-old daughter, loved every minute of class. Thank you for that great assignment @SteveHartmanCBS. This is my daughter’s letter to the doctors and nurses fighting #COVID19 @CBSEveningNews. pic.twitter.com/5eJXAI28qc
— Jericka Duncan (@Jerickaduncan) March 27, 2020
She Is Balancing Her Role as a Single Mama and a Media Personality
Managing the demanding career at CBS while raising a daughter is no small feat, but Duncan has found ways to make it work. She’s spoken about how the flexibility in her job has helped her maintain a balance, even with the grueling schedule of covering national news stories.
Appreciating the support she receives at work, she shared with the Passion in Progress podcast,
My schedule is crazy, but I also have managers that… will say, ‘You know what, why don’t you take two days off on top of the two days that you’re supposed to be off so that you can catch up on life,’
Still, like many mothers, she admits that a lot of the parenting responsibilities still fall on her. From managing her baby’s school schedule to ensuring doctor’s appointments are met, she juggles it all. Underscoring these challenges, she stated,
Anytime you are a mother, regardless of you’re married or not, a lot of the responsibility still to this day falls on women.
But no matter how tough it gets, she’s determined to do whatever it takes for her daughter.
