Who Is Star Jones' Husband? All About Ricardo Lugo

Star Jones and Ricardo Lugo have been married since 2018

When Star Jones and Ricardo Lugo met via an online dating app, they had something in common right away — their careers.

Not only did each profile feature their respective names and locations, the word “lawyer” was prominent in both usernames, as both Jones and Lugo are attorneys. (Jones currently serves as Judge Star on Divorce Court, and Lugo is an administrative law judge.)

After eight weeks of conversation, the two went on their first date, which quickly turned into a four-day date, and according to Jones, have “never been apart since.” The couple married in 2018 and renewed their vows in 2023.

Ever since meeting Lugo on that fateful day, Jones, 61, has been enjoying every minute with the man she calls the love of her life. “I’ve got my work for women ... my consulting company ... I get to live life with a man that I love, a child that adores me and health that is magnificent,” Jones told Tamron Hall of her journey to true love.

The three most important women in Jones’ life — her mother, grandmother and dog Pinky — all died shortly after her marriage to Lugo, but Jones believes they waited to make sure she had found "the one."

“Within six months of me getting married, they were both gone, with my precious [dog] Pinky,” Jones explained. “They all knew that I was safely in the arms of someone who would love me forever. I used to say, ‘Mom, he’s so kind, he’s so nice.’ She said, ‘Stop it, you act like you don’t deserve it. You deserve every bit of it.’ ”

Here’s everything to know about Ricardo Lugo, attorney, father and husband of original The View co-host Star Jones.

He’s from Chicago

Lugo grew up in the Cabrini-Green and Humboldt Park neighborhoods of Chicago and was one of 12 siblings. After high school, he attended the University of Wisconsin Law School and Benedictine University in Illinois, where he played varsity soccer and was on the dean’s list.

Lugo is an attorney

Like Jones, Lugo is an attorney, who has held a variety of roles during his career. In 2017, he worked as the Cook County assistant state's attorney. He also served as the deputy general counsel, chief investigator and chief deputy clerk of the Cook County Clerk of Court, where he managed over 50 employees, including Chicago and Illinois state police officers.

In 2018, he joined the law offices of Jeffery M. Leving with an emphasis on family law. According to his LinkedIn, Lugo is currently an administrative law judge.

He’s a father

Both Lugo and Jones have been married before, and Lugo has a son, Jake, from his previous relationship. Jake frequently appears on Jones’ Instagram and is now attending USC. He and Jones are close. In an Instagram post from parents’ weekend at the university in 2023, she called him “our baby boy” and has also referred to herself as Jake’s “bonus mom” and “Jake’s noni.”

Jones and Lugo met online

According to the Divorce Court host, the couple met via an online dating platform, where they had strikingly similar usernames. “I used my real, given name, Starlet. And it said Starlet54LawyerNewYork,” Jones told Tamron Hall in 2020, adding that she used “slice-of-life” pictures versus formal headshots in her profile.

“Ricardo’s was Ricardo54LawyerChicago,” Jones shared, explaining that they talked for eight weeks before going on their first date to a French restaurant, where they did a champagne tasting. “He said, ‘Is that okay?’ I said, ‘The only thing I like better than champagne is more champagne,' " Jones joked.

Jones and Lugo made their first public appearance in 2016

The couple went public with their relationship at an event in July 2016 in Bridgehampton, New York. Lugo’s son Jake was also in attendance. “This is my family,” Jones said of her companions. “I’m not married, but we’re together.”

Jones and Lugo got engaged in 2017

After several years of dating, the couple made it official, with Jones showing off her diamond engagement ring on Instagram in June 2017. “There appears to be a heatwave going across the Midwest,” she captioned the photo. “The extra heat is from the sun shining on my heart. The bells of happiness are ringing right now.”

Though she alluded to the engagement on social media, Jones kept the details of the proposal private.

They married in 2018

Jones and Lugo tied the knot aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise liner in the Bahamas on March 25, 2018 in front of 150 guests, including Phaedra Parks, Holly Robinson Peete and Tina Knowles.

Jones wore a fitted mermaid-style Dennis Basso gown with a jeweled headpiece and said the ensemble made her feel like “a beautiful beautiful Basso Black Barbie bride.” Lugo wore a white tuxedo jacket and black trousers, and many guests wore white.

The date was extra significant: Jones’ birthday is March 24, and the night before the wedding, Lugo threw her an elaborate party aboard the ship.

Lugo and Jones renewed their vows in 2023

Lugo and Jones celebrated their five-year wedding anniversary by renewing their vows on another cruise ship, this time in Santorini, Greece. “Thank you @celebritycruises for helping us turn our vacation cruise into a 5 year marriage,” Jones wrote on Instagram, calling it a “dream come true.” Jones wore a sparkling white sequined dress without cutout sleeves and Lugo wore a white jacket similar to the one he wore in 2018.

They love to travel

Jones and Lugo are a jet-setting pair — and a stylish one, too. The couple, who split their time between Chicago and East Hampton, travel frequently, including to Napa Valley, Italy and Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. They’re always dressed to impress, with Jones in a variety of colorful cocktail dresses and Lugo looking equally sharp in tailored jackets.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.