Co-Host of CNN Newsroom

Victor Blackwell | Biography

Journalist, News Correspondent

• By Anil Pradhan
• Update : April 18, 2022

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Victor Blackwell is a well-known TV News reporter. He currently appears on CNN as the co-host of the show CNN Newsroom.

Who is Victor Blackwell?

Victor Blackwell is an award-winning American journalist, TV correspondent, and TV News reporter. He initially broke into a journalism career as a writer for the Colombian newspaper Community Times. Later, he worked for several TV channels like WHAG-TV in Hagerstown, WTLV in Jacksonville, WHUT-TV in Washington, etc.

Furthermore, Blackwell was the first black person to become the lead anchor at WPBF 25 News in West Palm Beach, Florida. Following his tenure there, he joined CNN in 2012 as a weekend co-host.

At CNN, Blackwell has worked on several prominent breaking news stories, including the Emmy Award-nominated news of the El Paso, Texas shooting and the Dayton shooting. In 2020, he earned his much deserved Emmy Award for his Outstanding News Analysis.

As of now, Blackwell serves as the co-host of CNN Newsroom alongside Alisyn Camerota. He received his promotion around a year ago, in February 2021. People interviewed both Camerota and Blackwell after they were announced the co-hosts of CNN Newsroom. In the interview, Blackwell mentioned working with Camerota once on a piece of breaking news. It was the only instance they worked together before regrouping again as co-hosts.

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He is a Baltimore Native

Blackwell was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the USA, in 1981. His parents’ names are yet undisclosed. However, he regularly brings up his family and parents during interviews and media appearances.

In one of his interviews with Baltimore Magazine in February 2022, he said his family comes from Baltimore. He also revealed that his mother was the one who talked her into getting into Howard University. He said,

She tried to talk me into Howard because she knew of the alumni. When I started choosing, she said, “You can go to any school you want. I’ll pay for any HBCU you choose.

Blackwell graduated from Howard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism. Later, in 2016, the university listed his name on the 150 most distinguished alumni list.

He Had A Weight Loss Surgery

Blackwell went through a weight-reducing medical procedure in 2007. The procedure is called laparoscopic gastric banding. It involved involves building a food conveying minuscule pocket in the body. As a result of the surgery, he cut off approximately 130 pounds of excess flesh from his body.

Is Victor Blackwell Married?

The American journalist, Victor Blackwell, is not married yet. He has openly acknowledged his sexuality as gay in front of the world. Other than that, he has mostly remained secretive about his love life and relationship status.

However, Blackwell has certainly given some insights into his personal life in the past via an Instagram post. On 24 August 2019, he shared a picture with a guy, and the caption on it included a heart symbol. The Instagram post raised several eyebrows, and knowing his sexual orientation, the guy is the photo could possibly be his romantic partner. But again, Blackwell did not confirm anything and never talked about him. More so, he has now removed the particular post from his Instagram handle @victorblackwell.

He is a Godfather

Although the 40 years old CNN News Presenter is not married, he fathers his two children, a godson, and a goddaughter. He has named his godson Mason Clinton Douglas Mangum, while his goddaughter’s name remains undisclosed.

Blackwell regularly shares pictures of his godchildren on his Instagram handle. On 4 October 2018, he posted a playful short video with Mason and captioned it, “Getting' a refill of my godson, @sweetbabymason.” The post suggests the kind of close bonding he has made with his child.