Star Jones to Return to Daytime TV as Judge on Divorce Court , Will Replace Faith Jenkins

Theo Wargo/Getty Star Jones

Star Jones is headed back to the courtroom.

Beginning in September, Jones, 59, will serve as the new host and judge of Divorce Court and will replace Judge Faith Jenkins, who joined TV's longest-running court show in 2020.

Jones, a former New York City homicide prosecutor and current attorney, will preside over all the cases that get brought to mediation on Divorce Court, ranging from divorce proceedings to other domestic disputes.

"Before I was the legal correspondent for NBC News covering high-profile trials and conducting exclusive jailhouse interviews, I spent six years in a Brooklyn courtroom as a NYC homicide prosecutor and assistant district attorney," Jones said in a statement. "Since the beginning of my TV career, it's been my mission to serve as a voice for the voiceless; and after more than 30 consecutive years on television and in people's homes, that remains true."

Jones continued, "As a fan of television's longest-running court show, I was honored to be considered to take over the 'Divorce Court' TV bench, following in the footsteps of three incredible women, Judge Mablean Ephriam, Judge Lynn Toler, and Judge Faith Jenkins."

Concluding her statement, Jones said, "I will offer the parties before Divorce Court, as well as viewers, a no-nonsense approach to the law and a decision driven by my proven legal expertise, compassion and empathy, personal experiences and hard-earned common sense."

Jimi Celeste/Patrick McMullan/Getty Star Jones

RELATED: Divorce Court's Lynn Toler Exits Series After '13 Great Years' as She Praises Her Replacement

Stephen Brown, Executive Vice President of Programming and Development for Fox First Run and Fox Television Stations, also expressed his excitement over the news.

"We've been very lucky to have had exceptionally talented judges helm 'Divorce Court.' Beginning next season, Star Jones will bring her life experiences, her knowledge as a litigator, and her forceful personality to that storied bench," he said in a statement. "She aspires to make the show more meaningful, more interactive, and more impactful for the couples and we can't wait."

Jones comes to the court show with a plethora of experience in the courtroom and on television.

After being elevated to senior assistant district attorney in 1992, she was recruited by Court TV in 1991 as a commentator on the William Kennedy Smith trial.

Later, Jones worked as a legal correspondent for NBC's Today Show and NBC's Nightly News, and has appeared as a correspondent, host, commentator, and advocate on various networks, including NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and TruTV.

In 1994, Jones starred in her own court show, Jones & Jury. Though the show was canceled after one year, Jones became the first Black person and female to serve as a TV arbitrator. Three years later, she joined The View, serving as one of their original co-hosts until her departure in 2006.

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Jones' is now the fourth host of Divorce Court's current run. (The show has "lived three lives in first-run syndication: from 1957 to 1969, from 1985 to 1992, and the current iteration, since 1999," according to its website.)

Judge Mablean Ephriam was the first person to host the current run and remained on the program from 1999 until 2006, when Lynn Toler assumed hosting responsibilities.

Toler then took on the role for another 13 years until March 2020 when it was announced that Jenkins would be taking over. Her episodes were taped last year and will continue to run until Jones begins her hosting gig in September, according to Deadline.