CNN's Jessica Dean Is Pregnant, Expecting Her First Baby with Husband Alex Katz (Exclusive)
CNN's Jessica Dean Is Pregnant, Expecting Her First Baby with Husband Alex Katz (Exclusive)
Hannah SacksFri, March 13, 2026 at 5:45 PM UTC
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CNN's Jessica DeanCredit: Courtesy of Jessica Dean -
CNN's Jessica Dean is expecting her first baby, a boy, with husband Alex Katz
Dean tells PEOPLE exclusively that her pregnancy feels like it's "right on time"
The anchor and her husband tied the knot in June 2024
Jessica Dean is expecting her first baby!
The CNN anchor, 41, is pregnant and expecting her first baby, a boy, with her husband Alex Katz, a rep for Dean confirms exclusively to PEOPLE. The couple, who tied the knot in June 2024, will welcome their little one this June.
"If I'm being honest, it hasn't really felt real until...now," Dean tells PEOPLE. "Telling our friends and family was very sweet. Funny enough, I think I would have waited until it was almost too late to tell everyone while Alex was bursting at the seams from the day we found out."
"I've been extremely lucky and have felt relatively good so far," she continues. "The sickest I remember being was around six weeks. I filled in on the morning edition of CNN News Central, which airs from 7-10 a.m., so I woke up very early that day."
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CNN's Jessica DeanCredit: Courtesy of Jessica Dean
Dean remembers eating every snack she could find during commercial breaks to try to cure herself of the waves of nausea.
"I've been very into fruit — at the beginning, I remember eating an apple and thinking this is the greatest apple, the most perfect thing I've ever tasted," she says. "I'm pretty sure it was just an average apple, but something about pregnancy has made all fruit perfect to me."
"I've been focused on staying active — being in New York City, I'm walking every day, and I'm still doing the Tracy Anderson Method with some modifications. That movement helps me keep sane and feeling like myself."
The soon-to-be boy parents have already discussed names and even have one picked out.
"We have the name. Alex actually came up with it before I was pregnant, and the more we talked about it, the more it felt like we can't name this child anything else; this is it," says Dean.
Jessica Dean and Alex Katz.Credit: Courtesy of Jessica Dean
As she thinks ahead to the next chapter, Dean says she can't wait to experience the joy and "chaos" of welcoming a little one.
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"I came to this later in life, at the age of 41, which, while it sounds cliché, feels right on time for me," she says. "Before Alex and I started dating, I had made peace with the idea [that] children may not be in the cards for me."
"When Alex and I got married in June 2024, my heart was so full. It was truly content. To be able to build a family together is a dream I think I'd quietly let go of years ago that is now coming true," continues Dean. "It's the sweetest cherry on top."
Dean explains that she's "always been a planner" and loves to be in control, but acknowledges that those two qualities might not be the best for a baby.
"At 41, I'm far more comfortable letting go of expectations than I think I would have been ten years ago. I can't wait to experience all of it in full, even the chaos and hard parts," She says.
"Of course, every pregnancy and person is different, but I've really found my age to be an asset in this whole process. At 41, I really know myself, I know my weaknesses and strengths, what's actually worth worrying about and what's not. That wisdom has been invaluable and something I've relied on again and again."
Jessica Dean and Alex Katz.Credit: Courtesy of Jessica Dean
One of the most special parts of this pregnancy for Dean has been having her little one with her for some of the biggest breaking news moments from the last year.
"I solo anchor 3 straight hours, sometimes more, every Saturday and Sunday, and from his earliest days, this baby has been right there with me for some of the biggest breaking news of the last six months — sometimes 4 plus hours of rolling coverage," says Dean.
"We catch a tremendous amount of news on the weekends, and he seems to like it as much as I do. I feel him kicking and rolling from the opening show music and throughout the interviews," she continues.
The mom-to-be adds that being on TV while pregnant has been an "interesting experience."
"Anyone who's been pregnant knows the question of 'what am I going to wear' becomes a bit more complicated, especially during that in-between phase when you don't look fully pregnant but also don't look like your normal self," says Dean. "Thankfully, drawstring and elastic waistband pants are very in right now. I've practically lived in the La Ligne Colby pant (bless them, they make a zillion colors)."
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