Sad Details About The Life Of CNN's John King

As the country anxiously awaits the results of the contentious 2024 presidential election, CNN's John King is guiding us through. The anchor, whose decades-long career has given him plenty of opportunity for election coverage, told USA Today, "This is this is what I do. This is my passion." King has clearly been lucky to be able to dedicate his life to his passion. Yet, not everything throughout King's life has been quite as lucky as his career, and the difficulties he has faced over the years have made many of his fans concerned. 

Being a public figure means that folks are likely to take interest in your personal life, and King is no exception to this. Between his split from CNN colleague Dana Bash and his MS diagnosis, there have been plenty of things King has dealt with over the years that have left his fan base worried. Luckily, it seems that despite the difficulties he has faced, today, King is right where he wants to be. In April 2023, King stepped down from CNN's "Inside Politics" to focus on the 2024 election. "This is my 'back to the future' dream assignment," King said, per CNN, adding, "It is my 10th presidential cycle and, given the stakes, I felt it was time to get back to my roots reporting across the country." Although he's living his dream now, however, King had to get through the difficult periods of his life that got him where he is today.

In 2007, John King and fellow CNN anchor and debate moderator Dana Bash announced that they were in a relationship. A year later, the couple married. King, who was raised Catholic, converted to Judaism in preparation for his wedding to Bash. Three years after saying "I do," King, who had two children from his previous marriage, and Bash welcomed a son to the world, Jonah Frank King. According to the Daily Mail, when their son was born, King emailed his and Bash's coworkers at CNN, writing, "We are ecstatic to announce the birth of Jonah Frank King." He proceeded to joke, "Unlike either of his parents, Jonah beat his deadline. By two weeks no less. Dana is doing great. Speechless at times. But healthy and overjoyed at our miracle."

Despite all signs indicating that King and Bash were a match made in journalism heaven, their marriage didn't last long. They had been married for less than four years when they went public with their separation in 2012. Still, in spite of their short-lived marriage and reportedly challenging split, King and Bash have seemingly remained on good terms over the years and continue to co-parent Jonah.

John King has been living with multiple sclerosis for years. King told People about receiving the diagnosis back in 2008. "I had a lack of sensation that started in my lower legs, and it went up to my thighs," he remembered, adding, "Then all of a sudden, it came past my waist and up my torso, and I was having a hard time moving." He subsequently received an MRI and was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS. According to him, "I was petrified. I immediately thought, 'Am I not going to be able to walk or do my job? Am I not going to be able to play baseball or hike with my kids?'" 

While the diagnosis shook King, over a decade later, he admitted that despite the fact that he does have some difficulties due to the chronic disease, "... if you look at the spectrum of what MS can do — for a lot of people it's incredibly aggressive and horribly cruel — I'm very, very lucky." Diet, exercise, and medication have contributed to King's ability to live with his illness.