Melissa Cohen Biden

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Melissa Cohen Biden
Biden in 2021
Born
Melissa Batya Cohen

c. 1986 (age 36–37)
Johannesburg, South Africa
EducationGreenside Design Center College of Design
University of California, Los Angeles
Occupation(s)Activist, filmmaker
Spouse
Jason Lavender
​
​
(m. 2011; div. 2014)​
​
(m. 2019)​
Children1
FamilyBiden (by marriage)

Melissa Batya Cohen Biden (born c. 1986)[1] is a South African‐American activist and documentary filmmaker. She is the wife of Hunter Biden, a son of U.S. President Joe Biden.

Early life[edit]

Melissa Cohen was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. She lived in an orphanage and was three years old when adopted by Lee and Zoe Cohen, a South African Jewish couple with three sons.[2][3] She attended King David High School Victory Park, a Jewish day school, before studying interior design at Greenside Design Center College of Design in South Africa.[4][5] She moved to Los Angeles when she was 21 years old to attend the University of California, Los Angeles.

Later life[edit]

While in Los Angeles, she met American businessman Jason Lavender. They married in 2011 and separated in 2014.[6] Cohen was an advocate for environmental and nature conservation groups.[4]

After her divorce, Cohen launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a documentary about tribal communities.[7]

In 2019, she met Hunter Biden, son of then-former U.S. Vice President and presidential candidate Joe Biden. She helped Hunter Biden in seeking treatment for substance abuse.[8] On May 16, 2019, six days after meeting, they married in a ceremony held at her apartment in Hollywood Hills.[9][10][11] In 2019, she became a naturalized citizen of the United States.[1]

Their son Beau was born in March 2020 in Los Angeles.[12][13]

She attended the Inauguration of Joe Biden in 2021.[13]

She and her family live in Malibu, California.[14]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Exclusive: Hunter Biden talks getting married after 6 days and why his life is in 'the best place I've ever been'". ABC News. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  2. ^ "What Hunter Biden's memoir tells us about Melissa Cohen, his Jewish wife". The Forward. 7 April 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  3. ^ Miltz, Nicola (3 June 2021). "Biden's daughter-in-law in SA for mom's funeral". Jewish Report. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  4. ^ a b Keren David (9 November 2020). "Joe Biden's very Jewish family". The Jewish Chronicle.
  5. ^ "Meet Joe Biden's South African daughter-in-law". News24. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  6. ^ "Who Is Melissa Cohen? Filmmaker And Hunter Biden's Wife". Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  7. ^ Kaloi, Stephanie (13 February 2021). "Who Is Hunter Biden's Wife, Melissa Cohen?". The List. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  8. ^ "Didn't recall encounter with Arkansan, Hunter Biden says in book".
  9. ^ "Hunter Biden Just Married His Girlfriend of One Month". W Magazine. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  10. ^ Newman, Meredith (July 1, 2019). "Hunter Biden talks about his addiction, 'I was in that darkness'". The News-Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  11. ^ Heil, Emily (June 12, 2019). "Hunter Biden's messy personal life is back in the news. Will it cause political headaches for his dad?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 13, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  12. ^ Carlson, Adam (April 1, 2020). "Joe Biden's Son Hunter & His Wife Welcome a Son Less Than a Year After Whirlwind Wedding: Report". People. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Stump, Scott (January 21, 2021). "Joe Biden and baby grandson share precious moment at inauguration — and his name is Beau". Today. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  14. ^ Nerozzi, Timothy (23 July 2022). "Hunter Biden makes rare public outing amid investigation". Fox News. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
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