Joy Reid net worth is a topic many people are curious about. She is a well-known journalist and TV host. As the anchor of The ReidOut on MSNBC, she has built a strong career in news and politics. Her work as a reporter, author, and commentator has made her one of the most recognized voices in media.
So, let’s take a closer look at how she earns her money and what has helped her build her wealth.
Joy Reid in Brief
| Full Name | Joy-Ann Reid |
| Date of Birth | December 8, 1968 |
| Place of Birth | New York City, NY |
| Occupation | Television Host, Political Commentator, Author |
| Height | 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) |
| Spouse | Jason Reid (m. 1997) |
| Children | 3 |
| Net Worth | $4 million |
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What Joy Reid Net Worth?
Joy Reid is an American progressive political commentator and television host with an estimated net worth of $4 million. Most of her income comes from her work as a journalist, television host, and political commentator. She reportedly earns $1.5 million per year from her contract with MSNBC.
In addition to her television salary, Reid is also an author. She has written several books, which add to her earnings. She frequently speaks at events and colleges, further increasing her income. Over the years, she has established herself as one of the most influential voices in media.
Early Life
Joy-Ann Lomena, Reid, was born in Brooklyn, New York City. Her father was from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and her mother was a professor and nutritionist from Guyana. Her parents met in college at the University of Iowa.
Reid grew up in Denver, Colorado, with her brother and sister. Her father was mostly absent, and her parents eventually divorced. After her mother passed away from breast cancer when Reid was 17, she moved to Flatbush, Brooklyn to live with her aunt.
Joy Reid went on to graduate from Harvard University in 1991, studying film. In an interview in 2013, she shared how different college life was for her. She had to adjust from a community that was mostly African American to one where only 6% were African American. She also had to manage her own bills and tuition, which helped her grow and learn important life skills.
Career
Joy Reid started her journalism career in 1997 after leaving New York and a job at a business consulting firm. She moved to South Florida to work on WSVN Channel 7’s morning show. She left journalism in 2003 to join America Coming Together to fight against the Iraq War and President George W. Bush. She returned to broadcasting as a talk radio host and worked on Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.
From 2006 to 2007, Reid co-hosted Wake Up South Florida, a morning radio show with “James T” Thomas. She worked as managing editor of The Grio from 2011 to 2014 and wrote for Miami Herald from 2003 to 2015. Reid also ran The Reid Report blog from 2000 to 2014.
Joy Reid hosted The Reid Report on MSNBC from February 2014 to February 2015. After it was canceled, she became an MSNBC national correspondent. In May 2016, she began hosting AM Joy, a weekend political talk show. By 2018, her show had almost one million weekly viewers. In July 2020, Reid became the first Black woman to host a primetime show on MSNBC with The ReidOut. This show aired at 7 p.m. after Hardball with Chris Matthews retired.
Sadly, The ReidOut was canceled in February 2025. The last episode will air in late February. In 2017, Reid was one of the top most tweeted journalists. She is also credited with creating the term “KHive” for Kamala Harris supporters.
Personal life
In 1997, Joy Reid married Jason Reid. Jason is a documentary film editor. They have three children together.
Controversies
In late 2017 and April 2018, Twitter user @Jamie_maz shared old posts from Reid’s blog, Reid Report, which mocked politicians and journalists using offensive references to gay sex. After criticism, Reid apologized, calling the posts “insensitive and dumb.”
A second set of posts came to light, in which Reid made homophobic remarks and said she was “probably” homophobic. Reid later claimed she didn’t remember writing them and suggested her blog might have been hacked, though no evidence of hacking was found.
In April 2018, older blog posts from 2005 to 2007 were discovered. These posts included comments that promoted the conspiracy film Loose Change and criticized Israel. Reid also made antisemitic remarks, leading to calls for her firing from the Zionist Organization of America. One post even showed a photoshopped image of Senator John McCain with the face of the Virginia Tech shooter.
In June 2018, Joy Reid apologized again, stating she had changed and regretted her past comments. MSNBC stood by her, acknowledging her growth and the hurtful nature of her old posts. Reid’s apology was met with mixed reactions, with some accepting it and others criticizing her.
On September 1, 2020, Joy Reid made controversial remarks about President Donald Trump and Kyle Rittenhouse, comparing the situation to radicalizing leaders in the Muslim world. Civil rights groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center and Muslim Advocates called her remarks Islamophobic. However, some defended her, saying she was pointing out a media double standard.
Awards
In 2015, Joy Reid gave the first Ida B. Wells lecture at Wake Forest University’s Anna Julia Cooper Center. This was a big moment for her. In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter praised her for breaking down complex issues so people could understand them better.
In 2018, The New York Times called her a “heroine” of the anti-Trump movement. They also mentioned that she was the daughter of immigrants.
Joy Reid was a fellow at the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism in 2003. In 2018, she earned three nominations for the NABJ Salute to Excellence Awards. One was for her work on a pastor being pulled to safety at the Charlottesville march. Another was for her reporting on hurricane damage in the US Virgin Islands.
The third was for her segment about The Kalief Browder Story. In this, she interviewed Kalief’s brother, Deion Browder, and filmmaker Julia Mason. In 2016, Reid won the Women’s Media Center’s Carol Jenkins Visible and Powerful Media Award.