Who is Kathy Ambush? The untold story of Clarence Thomas' first wife

Who is Kathy Ambush? The untold story of Clarence Thomas' first wife

Clarence Thomas is an American lawyer and judge serving as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. He is the second African-American to serve on that court, following Thurgood Marshall, whom he succeeded in 1991. Aside from his career, the public is interested in Clarence Thomas' personal life. He married twice and divorced once. Read about Clarence Thomas' first wife, Kathy Ambush, below.

Kathy Ambush
Kathy Ambush's ex-husband, Clarence Thomas, is a long-serving Supreme Court Justice. Photo: @georgepfortexas, @kathygracesmith (modified by author)
Source: UGC

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Kathy Ambush is widely recognized in America as the first and ex-wife of Clarence Thomas, even though she has kept a low profile since their divorce. Take a look at her marriage to the long-serving Supreme Court Justice below.

Profile summary

Full nameKathy Grace Ambush
GenderFemale
Birthdate6 June 1950
Age74 years (as of 2024)
Zodiac signGemini
BirthplaceWorcester, Massachusetts, USA
ResidenceRichmond, Virginia, USA
NationalityAmerican
EthnicityAfrican-American
ReligionChristianity
SexualityStraight
Hair colorBlack
Eye colorDark brown
FatherNelson William Ambush
MotherShigao Gladys Sato
SiblingsSix
Marital statusMarried
HusbandDouglas Allen Smith
ChildJamal Adeen Thomas
High SchoolSt. Peter-Marion Central Catholic High School
CollegeAnna Maria College
QualificationSociology studies
UniversityLincoln University
QualificationBusiness Administration and Science degree
TrainingBroadcast Centre (Radio Broadcasting training)
CareerEntrepreneur and retired public relations professional
Net worth$100,000 (Approx.)

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Kathy Ambush's biography

Kathy Grace Ambush was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA, to Nelson William Ambush (father) and Shigao Gladys Sato (mother).

How old is Kathy Grace Ambush?

Born on 6 June 1950, Grace is 74 years old in 2024, and her zodiac sign is Gemini.

Kathy Ambush's siblings

Kathy has four siblings from both parents, Benjamin Ambush, Reverend Stephen Ambush, June Ambush, and Karen Thande, and two half-siblings, Sydney Schuyler and Valarie Wilson.

Kathy Ambush
Facts about Kathy Ambush. Photo: @kathygracesmith on Facebook (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Educational background

Kathy Grace attended Saint Peter-Marion Central Catholic High School before joining Anna Maria College from 1968 to 1970 to study Sociology.

She later enrolled at Lincoln University from 1975 to 1977, graduating with a Business Administration and Science degree. Kathy also trained in Radio Broadcasting from 1978 to 1979 at the Broadcast Centre.

Career history

According to her LinkedIn profile, Kathy is a retired professional with more than forty years of experience in public relations. She served in various capacities in the non-profit, corporate, political, and education sectors, including administration and management.

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In her early career, Ambush was a communications specialist for NRCC (from July 1979 to May 1985). After that, she worked as the director for the MASP Program at Milton Academy (from August 1990 to August 1994) and as a community relations specialist at BankBoston (from August 1998 to May 2002).

Grace later became an assistant director and director of Development at the Immigrant Learning Centre, Inc. (from June 2002 to August 2018).

What does Kathy Ambush do?

Although retired, Grace remains professionally active, working with Global Internet Entrepreneur. She is also interested in Amway, where she promotes healthy living.

Kathy Ambush's net worth

Clarence Thomas's first wife has an alleged net worth of $100,000. Her source of income is her entrepreneurial ventures and a 40-year career in various companies, serving in various capacities.

When did Kathy Ambush and Clarence Thomas meet?

Kathy and Clarence reportedly met as college students in 1969. Thomas was attending the College of Holy Cross, and Kathy was a student at a nearby school.

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Kathy Ambus
Kathy and Thomas' son is an experienced professional with a BA in Economics and Business from Virginia Military Institute. Photo: @Boston25News, @jamal-thomas-a6918bb3 (modified by author)
Source: UGC

The two dated for two years before tying the knot in 1971, the same year Thomas graduated. They held a private ceremony at All Saints Episcopal Church.

Afterward, the couple relocated to New Haven, Connecticut, USA. In 1973, they welcomed their only child. After ten years of marriage, Kathy and Clarence separated in 1981, finalizing their divorce in 1984. Clarence won the custody of their son.

Kathy Thomas remarried after the divorce and reportedly relocated to Richmond, Virginia. Meanwhile, her ex-husband married Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, an American conservative activist.

Thomas met and began dating Virginia Lamp in 1986. He was even surprised to find himself pursuing a white woman, as he had previously opposed interracial relationships. Lamp's family was first, but eventually, they all got over their prejudices and became a family. They were married in 1987.

Why did Kathy Ambush and Clarence Thomas divorce?

The couple never publicly explained the grounds for their divorce. Nonetheless, the public learned a few things about Clarence Thomas' behavior while they were married.

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Thomas had an affair with Lillian McEwen, a Senate Judiciary Committee employee, during his first marriage. She wrote about the scandalous affair in her memoir and spoke about it publicly.

McEwen told CNN in a 2010 interview that Clarence was obsessed with p*orn and drank extensively when they were together. She said:

I suppose I would call it a fetish or a hobby. It was something that was very important to him, something that he talked about.
I didn't disapprove of it. I just didn't care.

McEwen had never talked publicly about her relationship with Thomas until his wife, conservative activist Virginia Thomas, left a voicemail for Anita Hill, insisting that she apologize for her testimony at the 1991 confirmation hearing.

According to McEwen, a Washington Post reporter "tricked" her into commenting on Virginia Thomas' phone conversation with Hill, and she decided it was time to tell her story.

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Clarence has never publicly commented on his alleged relationship with Lillian McEwen. He, however, admitted in his memoir, My Grandfather’s Son, of having a drinking problem in the 1980s.

Kathy Ambush
Clarence married Virginia "Ginni" Thomas around two years after their divorce. Photo: @nowthisimpact, @ginni.thomas (modified by author)
Source: UGC

While married to Kathy Ambush, Thomas wasted his student loan money at bars. He decided to stop drinking while working for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) because it was not financially or physically sustainable.

Nonetheless, Thomas experienced financial difficulties for much of his adult life. He received multiple eviction notices and could not pay his loans or credit cards.

Anita Hill, a former EEOC legal adviser, accused Clarence of sexual harassment while working as a lawyer in his office. She made those allegations during his confirmation hearings to the Supreme Court on October 11, 1991.

Anita also said Thomas described p*orn material in excessive detail, his own sexual life, and his anatomy to her. Thomas denied the accusations, claiming the testimony led to a "modern-day lynching" of his character.

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Angela Wright, who also worked at the EEOC, accused Thomas of sexual misconduct but was not called to give her testimony because she was fired from the EEOC. It would look like she was trying to get revenge on Thomas.

Did Clarence Thomas have any children?

American judge Clarence Thomas has one biological son, Jamal Adeen Thomas.

Who is Jamal Thomas' mother?

Clarence got Jamal from his first marriage with Kathy Ambush. The Supreme Court Justice and his second wife, Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, do not have children together. Nevertheless, Ginni is close to Jamal as his stepmother.

Is Crystal Clanton is Clarence Thomas' daughter?

Clarence Thomas and Crystal are not related by blood. The conservative organizer turned lawyer has built such a close relationship with Thomas and his second wife, Ginni, that the couple informally refer to her as their “nearly adopted daughter.”

Justice Clarence Thomas gave Crystal a home and a job after she left a conservative youth organization in controversy. Afterward, he picked her as his Supreme Court clerk, one of the most coveted positions in the legal world.

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Kathy Ambush
American Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas denied Anita Hill's sexual misconduct accusations against him. Photo: @postopinions, @salonofficial(modified by author)
Source: UGC

How many children does Kathy Ambush have?

She has one child named Jamal Adeen Thomas. Kathy Ambush's son was born on 15 February 1973 at Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. He is 51 years old in 2024, and his zodiac sign is Aquarius.

What does Kathy Ambush's son do?

Jamal Thomas, the son of Clarence Thomas, is the director of supervision at The Potomac Group of Northwestern Mutual. He is an experienced professional with a BA in Economics and Business from Virginia Military Institute.

Is Kathy Ambush married?

Since her divorce from Clarence Thomas, Kathy has remarried Douglas Allen Smith. The couple has no known children together. In addition, nothing much is known about Kathy Ambush's husband because Douglas keeps a low profile and avoids the limelight.

Where is Kathy Ambush today?

Douglas Allen Smith and Kathy Ambush live in Richmond, Virginia, USA, where she is involved in entrepreneurship with Global Internet Entrepreneur and advocates for healthy living through platforms like Amway.

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Who is Clarence Thomas' sister?

Thomas's older sister is Emma Mae Martin. It is alleged that he lied about her for political gain. Speaking to a conference of Black conservatives in 1980, Clarence labeled Emma as "dependent" on welfare and accused her of having her children feel "entitled" to welfare payments rather than encouraging them to work.

In an attempt to distinguish himself and further his career, he supported a prevalent conservative notion that Black people are lazy and rely on welfare rather than their hard work.

What is Clarence Thomas' religion?

Growing up as a devoted Catholic, Thomas aspired to be a priest in the Catholic Church, but was dissatisfied with the church's weak efforts to combat racism.

Facts about Kathy Ambush

  • Kathy met Clarence Thomas in college.
  • Kathy and Clarence were married for 10 years.
  • Clarence allegedly had an affair while they were married
  • She is a retired public relations professional.
  • Kathy is currently into entrepreneurship.

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Kathy Ambush is famous for being Clarence Thomas' first wife. The couple divorced after a year of separation. They share one child, a son, and it is unknown whether Kathy had other children after remarrying.

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Julian Mireri (SEO editor) Julian is a content creator who has been working with Yen since 2018. She graduated from the University of Nairobi with a Bachelor’s Degree in Project Planning and Management in the year 2013. Think of her as a content whisperer and a gifted storyteller who never disappoints when it comes to finding the right words for her pieces. Email: julianmireri@gmail.com

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Chris Ndetei (Lifestyle writer) Christopher Ndetei is a junior reporter writer who joined the Yen team in May 2021. He graduated from the Machakos Technical College in 2009 with a diploma in ICT. Chris has over two years of experience in content creation and more than ten working in the hospitality industry. He covers lifestyle/entertainment, focusing on biographies, life hacks, gaming and guides. In 2023, Christopher finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach him at chrisndetei@gmail.com