Family

Family Fast Facts

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Birthdate: September 19, 1966
Birthplace: Saint James, New York

Mother: Estella, a Black Cubana (Afro-Cuban), was a French and English teacher.

Father: Edward, an Australian (from Toowoomba, Australia) of Irish descent, was a mechanical engineering professor.

Soledad's parents, both immigrants, met at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland in 1958 and married in 1959. Interracial marriage was illegal in Maryland then, so the couple was married in Washington, D.C.

The O'Briens then moved to the Long Island community of St. James on Long Island’s North Shore, where Soledad was born and raised.

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Soledad's full name is Maria de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien. From Spanish, her first name would translate as, "The Blessed Virgin Mary of Solitude." When she started working in TV, many people recommended that she change her name, but she refused.

Education: Smithville High School (NY) and Harvard University (BA)

Siblings: Soledad is the fifth of six children, all of whom graduated from Harvard University. Her siblings are law professor Maria (b. 1961); corporate lawyer Cecilia (b. 1962), Tony (b. 1963) who heads a documents company; eye surgeon Estella (b. 1964); and anesthesiologist Orestes (b. 1968).

Family: Her husband, Brad Raymond, is an investment banker. They were married in 1995 and have four children: Sofia Elizabeth, October 23, 2000;  Cecilia, March 20, 2002; Twins, Charlie and Jackson, August 30, 2004.