Kathy Ambush is a key player in the life of Clarence Thomas, the jurist and lawyer who served as associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
His personal life was affected by having such a high political profile, which throws the light on his wife—or ex-wife, to be more accurate—and that’s who we’ll be talking about in this article.
So, keep reading to learn more about Kathy Ambush, Clarence’s first wife, who has now become his ex-wife.
Early Life
Kathy Ambush was born in 1950 on the 6th of June to a dental technician father “Nelson Ambush,” and Shigao Gladys Sato, her mother.
She was raised with four siblings: Benjamin, Karen, June, and Reverend Stephen. She went to Marian Central Catholic High School and moved on to Lincoln University to study business administration.
After her mother died in 1984, her father married Mary Estelle, giving Kathy two half-siblings: Sydney Schuyler and Valarie Wilson.
Image source: Google
Career
After finishing business administration school, she became a Global Internet Entrepreneur volunteer, besides working at an immigration learning center in the U.S. Moreover, she later became the director of the Advanced Studies Program at Milton Academy’s Massachusetts.
Not only that, but she also did some work as a trial lawyer in New Orleans and Boston and even worked at BankBoston.
Ever since then, she has maintained her presence in the legal community.
Getting Married to Clarence Thomas
Kathy Ambush and Clarence met during college when Thomas was studying at the College of Holy Cross and Kathy was studying at a school nearby.
Kathy and Clarence got married in 1971, which is also the year when Clarence graduated.
During their 10 years of marriage, they raised their child, Jamal Adeen Thomas, as loving parents.
However, the couple separated in 1981 and finalized their divorce in 1984. Ever since then, Kathy and her son kept a very low profile away from publicity.
Clarence Thomas’ Affairs and Scandals
There were many things wrong with Clarence’s life, including his affairs. He got into a relationship with Lillian McEwen, who was also working for the Senate Judiciary Committee. McEwen wrote about the affair and Clarence’s inappropriate behavior in her memoir, and she even spoke about it publicly.
She talked about how Thomas used to have trouble with drinking and excessive porn use.
Not to mention, Clarence was even accused of sexual harassment by his colleague, Anita Hill. She said that he pushed her to go out on dates with him and went to the extent of having salacious conversations with her. This included mentioning porn, talking about his sex life, and describing himself in inappropriate ways.
Not only that, but another woman, Angela Wright, was willing to testify against Thomas upon being subpoenaed.
However,Ambush defended her ex-husband, stating that she did not believe the allegations.
Confessions of Thomas
Clarence admitted to having drinking problems in the 1980s, and even before that, he used to go to bars using his student loan money.
However, when he started working for the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), he realized that keeping up the habit wouldn’t be possible—whether financially or physically.
Clarence Thomas wrote a memoir titled “My Grandfather’s Son.” He wrote about how he faced financial issues throughout his adult life, where he had to pick between taking a bus or ordering takeout food.
Even when he was working at the EEOC, he couldn’t pay loans, had credit card debt, and received multiple eviction notices.
Moving On With Her Life
After her divorce, Kathy moved on to marry Douglas Allen Smith. Ambush and her new husband are currently living in Richmond, Virginia.
FAQs
Did Clarence Thomas Marry Anyone After Kathy Ambush?
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Yes, Thomas got married again in 1987 to a conservative activist called Virginia Lamp, one year after meeting her. According to his memoir, he was surprised when he found himself developing feelings for a white woman as he had been against interracial relationships in the past.
What Is Kathy Ambush’s Net Worth?
Kathy’s net worth is estimated to be about a hundred thousand dollars. The main driver behind that amount of money is the settlement she got—along with other assets—after she divorced her ex-husband.
Final Conclusion
Although most of Kathy Ambush’s publicity comes from the fact that she’s Clarence Thomas’ ex-wife, she still has an interesting background and has kept a presence in the legal community.
She’s had a challenging life growing up and even during her marriage to the associate justice of the Supreme Court.
