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 married to his second wife, Virginia Thomas, after parting ways with Kathy Ambush. The two were together for 13 years before divorcing. So, who is Kathy Ambush? She is an entrepreneur and Clarence Thomas's first wife. Read more about her.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Profile summary
- Who is Kathy Ambush?
- How old is Kathy Grace Ambush?
- Kathy Ambush's siblings
- Educational background
- Career history
- What does Kathy Ambush do?
- Kathy Ambush's net worth
- When did Kathy Ambush and Clarence Thomas meet?
- Why did Kathy Ambush and Clarence Thomas divorce?
- Did Clarence Thomas have any children?
- Is Kathy Ambush married?
- What happened to Clarence Thomas's first wife?
- Who is Clarence Thomas' sister?
- What is Clarence Thomas' religion?
- What is Kathy Ambush's political party?
- Who is the oldest member of the Supreme Court?
- Facts about Kathy Ambush
Key takeaways
- Kathy Ambush is widely recognized as the first wife of Clarence Thomas, even though she has kept a low profile since their divorce.
- Thomas is the second African-American to serve on the United States Supreme Court, following Thurgood Marshall, whom he succeeded in 1991.
- The former couple had one son named Jamal Adeen. He was born on 15 February 1973.
- Jamal is the director of supervision at The Potomac Group North Western.
Profile summary
| Full name | Kathy Grace Ambush |
| Gender | Female |
| Birthdate | 6 June 1950 |
| Age | 75 years (as of 2025) |
| Zodiac sign | Gemini |
| Birthplace | Worcester, Massachusetts, USA |
| Residence | Richmond, Virginia, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Dark brown |
| Father | Nelson William Ambush |
| Mother | Shigao Gladys Sato |
| Siblings | Six |
| Marital status | Married |
| Husband | Douglas Allen Smith |
| Child | Jamal Adeen Thomas |
| High School | St. Peter-Marion Central Catholic High School |
| College | Anna Maria College |
| Qualification | Sociology studies |
| University | Lincoln University |
| Qualification | Business Administration and Science Degree |
| Training | Broadcast Centre (Radio Broadcasting training) |
| Career | Entrepreneur and retired public relations professional |
| Net worth | $2 million |
Who is Kathy Ambush?
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 75 years old in 2025, 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.
Source: UGC
Educational background
Kathy 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.
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?
Kathy is a retired public relations professional. She is currently into entrepreneurship and philanthropy. She is known for working with Global Internet Entrepreneur and serving as the Director of the Massachusetts Advanced Studies Program at Milton Academy (1990 to 1994).
The former PR professional also has a foundation, the Kathy Foundation, that supports education and the well-being of underprivileged children. Her efforts to empower the younger generation and use technology to bridge innovation and community gaps have received wide recognition.
Clarence Thomas' ex-wife was also an active Amway ambassador, where she dedicated her time to promoting healthy living.
Kathy Ambush's net worth
Her estimated net worth is $2 million according to Slideshare. Her source of income is her entrepreneurial ventures, philanthropic contributions, and career working in various companies.
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.
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.
Afterwards, 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 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 reluctant at first, but eventually, they overcame 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. However, some believe that Thomas's affair with Lillian McEwen, a Senate Judiciary Committee employee, might have caused the turbulence in his first marriage.
McEwen told CNN in a 2010 interview that Clarence was obsessed with obscenity and drank extensively when they were together. She said:
I suppose I would call it a f*etish 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.
Clarence has never publicly commented on his alleged relationship with Lillian McEwen. He, however, admitted in his memoir, My Grandfather’s Son, to having a drinking problem in the 1980s.
Source: UGC
While married to Kathy, 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.
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.
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?
The American judge has one biological son, Jamal Adeen Thomas.
Who is Jamal Thomas' mother?
Clarence got Jamal from his first marriage to Kathy. 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 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. Afterwards, he picked her as his Supreme Court clerk, one of the most coveted positions in the legal world.
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 52 years old in 2025, and his zodiac sign is Aquarius.
What does Kathy Ambush's son do?
His son, Jamal 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 reportedly 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.
What happened to Clarence Thomas's first wife?
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.
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 labelled 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.
What is Kathy Ambush's political party?
Kathy Ambush is a Republican. This assertion can be made due to her notable role working as a communications specialist with the National Republican Congressional Committee from July 1979 to May 1984.
Who is the oldest member of the Supreme Court?
The oldest current member of the U.S. Supreme Court is Clarence Thomas, who was born on June 23, 1948. He is 76 years old.
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.
Who is Kathy Ambush? She is an entrepreneur and philanthropist, 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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