Clyde Jay Jennings is the only son of Martha Mitchell and John N. Mitchell. His mother, who had him from her previous marriage to Jay Jenning’s Jr., was an American conservative political figure and a socialite, while his father was Nixon’s Attorney General. Born in 1947 and now 77 years old, Clyde has been tied to the fame of his mother but has since maintained a very private life.
His character was portrayed in the limited TV Series, Gaslit, which was a political thriller that centered around the Watergate Scandal and had the character of his mother as the main protagonist. Away from that, the man has maintained a very private life as opposed to his mother, who was rather outspoken and considered controversial during the Watergate Scandal.
Summary of Clyde Jay Jennings’ Bio
- Full name: Clyde Jay Jennings
- Gender: Male
- Date of birth: 1947
- Clyde Jay Jennings’s Age: 77 years old
- Ethnicity: White
- Nationality: American
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Married
- Clyde Jay Jennings’ Wife: Janis Crawford
- Clyde Jay Jennings’ Parents: Martha Mitchell (mother), Clyde Jennings Jr. (father), John N. Mitchell (step-father)
- Siblings: Martha Elizabeth Mitchell
- Famous for: Son of Martha Mitchell
How Old Is Clyde Jay Jennings?
Clyde Jay Jennings is currently 77 years old. Of American nationality and white ethnicity, he was born in 1947 in Rye, New York City, United States of America. He was a product of the marriage between his mother, Martha Mitchell, and Clyde Jennings Jr.
Clyde’s mother initially worked as a secretary with Pine Bluff Arsenal while his father was a former US Army officer who took a role as the Manufacturer’s Representative for Vera Sportswear in New York City and The Citrus Growers after he retired.
He was brought up alongside a sister, whose name is Marty. However, details about his childhood and the earlier aspects of his education have all been kept from the public domain.
When he was ten years old, the marriage between his parents came to an end. Martha and Clyde Jr. got married on October 5, 1946, after they met in Washington, D.C. His parents remained together until they called it quits in 1957 when they divorced. There has never been a public mention of the reason behind the couple’s divorce.
Jay’s Mother Got Married Almost Immediately After The Divorce
Only a few months after the divorce between his parents was finalized, Martha got married to John N. Mitchell. It was during this marriage that Jay’s sister Martha Elizabeth Mitchell was born, and they were both raised together by their mother and John Mitchell. In the same manner, his father also later got married a second time to Frances McCarty Jennings.
His mother’s second marriage was what brought her to the limelight and also what would later bring Clyde to the notice of the public. This happened after John became the 67th Attorney General of the United States from 1969 to 1972, and the family moved to Washington. His mother’s open personality soon made her an individual that the media was interested in, and the people loved her. She was soon nicknamed The Mouth of The South or Martha the Mouth. She also had no issues appearing on late-night shows.
As the Watergate Scandal broke in the 1970s, Martha became infamous because of the late-night calls she placed to politicians, alleging that President Richard Nixon was complicit in the whole thing and the coverup. She claimed he was only trying to make her husband take the fall for it and make him a scapegoat. Described as a flamboyant socialite who was never scared to speak out and also as a proper gossip girl, she was considered one of the first whistleblowers during the scandal.
Although John would later take the side of his wife and quit the Nixon administration, their marriage did not survive for long before they divorced in 1963, after they were married for 16 years.
Clyde Jay Jennings Served as his Mother’s Spokesman Before Her Death
One of the most sensational women in America’s political history, Martha was diagnosed with advanced stages of multiple myeloma in 1975, and because of this, her son Clyde did not only take to caring for his sick mother, but he also became her spokesman. By this time, almost everyone had abandoned her because of the many controversies she got into.
John would later be found guilty of conspiracy, perjury, and obstruction of justice due to his role in the Watergate break-in and would spend 19 months in prison. He took away their daughter after the divorce, and they stayed away from Clyde’s mother. According to her attorney at the time, the once outspoken woman was left desperately ill and with neither any friends nor funds.
Clyde Jay Jennings helped his mother through the hard times until her death in 1976 at age 57.
The Whereabouts of Clyde Jay Jennings is Not Clear, But He is Married
If you are wondering where Clyde Jay Jennings may be and his family life, it is believed that the year old is still in the United States, where he has always been, although where he lives is unknown.
That said, he is since married to Janis Crawford, whom he met while he was studying law at the University of Mississippi. It was reported that the two dropped out at some point, with no further details on whether they returned to complete their studies. Clyde got married to the former Miss Hospitality of Walthall County in September 1974 at the First Baptist Church in Tylertown, Crawford’s hometown.
The couple has maintained a very private life since they got married. It is because of this that it remains unclear if they have any kids between them or if the union got to survive and not suffer the same fate as the two marriages of Clyde’s mother.
His last known place of residence was Woodbridge, Virginia, but that was in 2006.
It is Not Clear If He Is Retired
While there is nothing to suggest that he has retired, it is mostly believed that at the age of 77, Clyde Jay Jennings is now most likely retired. He had some jobs in the earlier part of his life, including working as a GAO investigator in the 1980s. Before then, he was reportedly working as a researcher for the Senate Subcommittee on internal security at the time of his mother’s death in 1975.
Even though a better part of his career life has remained away from the public, a glimpse into his life was captured in the series, Gaslit, which was made against the backdrop of the Watergate Scandal. His portrayal was with a focus on his mother, who was portrayed by Julia Robert.
The character of Jay in the 2022 mini-series was portrayed by Johnny Berchtold, who appeared in two episodes of the production.
