Sheila Johnson

About Sheila Johnson

Birth Day: January 25, 1949
Birth Place: The Plains, Virginia, United States
Residence: Between Middleburg and The Plains, Virginia, U.S.
Education: Proviso East High School
Alma mater: University of Illinois
Occupation: Businesswoman
Known for: Co-founder of Black Entertainment Television
Spouse(s): Robert L. Johnson (m. 1969; div. 2002) William T. Newman (m. 2005)
Children: Two

Sheila Johnson

Sheila Johnson was born on January 25, 1949 in The Plains, Virginia, United States. Sheila Johnson cofounded Black Entertainment Network with her ex-husband Robert. It sold to Viacom for $2.9 billion (including debt) in 2001. After divorcing, she sold off her shares and has since invested in hotels in Florida and Virginia, planes, real estate and horses. She produced and financed 2013's critically-acclaimed Lee Daniel's The Butler, telling the story of a former slave turned White House employee.

Does Sheila Johnson Dead or Alive?

As per our current Database, Sheila Johnson is still alive (as per Wikipedia, Last update: May 10, 2020).

🎂 Sheila Johnson - Age, Bio, Faces and Birthday

Currently, Sheila Johnson is 75 years, 2 months and 24 days old. Sheila Johnson will celebrate 76rd birthday on a Saturday 25th of January 2025. Below we countdown to Sheila Johnson upcoming birthday.

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
Popular As Sheila Johnson
Occupation
Age 75 years old
Zodiac Sign Aquarius
Born January 25, 1949 (The Plains, Virginia, United States)
Birthday January 25
Town/City The Plains, Virginia, United States
Nationality United States

🌙 Zodiac

Sheila Johnson’s zodiac sign is Aquarius. According to astrologers, the presence of Aries always marks the beginning of something energetic and turbulent. They are continuously looking for dynamic, speed and competition, always being the first in everything - from work to social gatherings. Thanks to its ruling planet Mars and the fact it belongs to the element of Fire (just like Leo and Sagittarius), Aries is one of the most active zodiac signs. It is in their nature to take action, sometimes before they think about it well.

🌙 Chinese Zodiac Signs

Sheila Johnson was born in the Year of the Ox. Another of the powerful Chinese Zodiac signs, the Ox is steadfast, solid, a goal-oriented leader, detail-oriented, hard-working, stubborn, serious and introverted but can feel lonely and insecure. Takes comfort in friends and family and is a reliable, protective and strong companion. Compatible with Snake or Rooster.

Some Sheila Johnson images

Biography/Timeline

1949

Sheila Johnson was born on January 25, 1949 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, the daughter of a neurosurgeon Father who worked for the Veterans Administration, and an accountant mother.

1969

For 33 years from 1969–2002, she was married to Robert L. Johnson. Together they founded the entertainment network BET. They sold the company to Viacom in 1999. They have two children.

2002

After her divorce from Robert L. Johnson in 2002, she was estimated to be worth about $670 million. In 2009, Forbes magazine estimated her net worth to be $400 million. In May 2017, Johnson's net worth was placed at $750 million.

2005

On September 24, 2005, she married Arlington County Circuit Court Chief Judge william T. Newman, who had presided over her divorce from Robert L. Johnson in 2003. The couple first met three decades earlier when they acted in a play together.

2007

In 2007 Johnson was honored as one of the Library of Virginia's "Virginia Women in History" for her career and her contributions to society.

2008

Johnson's first film, Kicking It, premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT. She served as sole executive Producer on her second film, A Powerful Noise, which premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

2009

Johnson is a Democrat, although in 2009 she endorsed Republican Virginia gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell. In early October 2009, Johnson mocked the stutter of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds at a rally for McDonnell's campaign. She later apologized.

2010

In April 2010, Johnson condemned Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell for his proclamation honoring Confederate History Month because it omitted any reference to slavery.

2019

In an interview, Sheila Johnson said she herself is "ashamed" of what the BET has become. “I don’t watch it. I suggest to my kids that they don’t watch it," she said. “When we started BET, it was going to be the Ebony magazine on television. We had public affairs programming. We had news... I had a show called Teen Summit, we had a large variety of programming, but the Problem is that then the video revolution started up... And then something started happening, and I didn’t like it at all. And I remember during those days we would sit up and watch these videos and decide which ones were going on and which ones were not. We got a lot of backlash from recording artists... and we had to start showing them. I didn’t like the way women were being portrayed in these videos.”

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