Due to its proximity to New York City and the densely populated state itself, New Jersey is home to more than just regular people. Although it may be a small country, it is filled with movie stars, athletes, singers, and others who have New Jersey roots. Women who are no longer with us like Clara Barton and Whitney Houston paved the way for the famous Jersey girls of today. We’ve compiled a list of celebrity women who called the New Jersey home. Read on to find out more about these famous ladies.
First Lady Jill Biden
(Image credit: @flotus)
First Lady Jill Biden was a Jersey girl. She was born in Hammonton and spent many summers along the Jersey Shore before moving to Delaware and, eventually, the White House.
Actress and comedian Michel Bouteau
(Image credit: michellebuteau)
Michele Bouteau is best known for her many roles on Netflix including the novel Circle starring in great person. Michelle was born in New Jersey and jokes about how many New Jersey cities she has lived in across the state on her Netflix special. She was based in Hamilton, Trenton, and Marlton.
Actress Lauren Cohan
(Image credit: @laurencohan)
Lauren Cohan is best known for her role in the walking Dead. She was born and raised in Cherry Hill until she moved to the UK with her mother.
Olympic Guetta Clark Diggs
(photo credit: @joettaolympian)
Joetta Clark Diggs has the longest running career in track and field in recent history. Prior to participating in the World Championships and Olympic races, she was born in East Orange and raised in Newark. She attended Columbia High School where she ran track and won the champs title for all four years.
Actress Kirsten Dunst
(photo credit: kirstendunst)
Kristen Dundust could be an original member of the Jersey Shore cast. She was born in Point Pleasant and lived in Brick until the age of eleven. She attended Rani School in Tinton Falls until she moved to Los Angeles in 1993 with her mother and brother.
Actress Taissa Farmiga
(Photo source: taissafarmiga)
Taissa is known for her horror roles, which earned her the nickname “Scream Queen” of this generation. She was born in Whitehouse Station and went to local schools until the fourth grade when she started homeschooling.
Actress Vera Farmiga
(photo credit: verafarmiga)
Vera is best known for her role in The Conjuring but is a Jersey girl at heart. She was born in Clifton and moved around the state with her family when she was a child. She grew up in a Ukrainian-American neighborhood of Irvington before moving to Whitehouse Station. Vera attended Hunterdon Central Regional High School where she discovered her love of acting during her freshman year after landing a lead role in a school production.
English Olympic gold medalist Gardner
(Image credit: @ughlyducklin)
English Olympic gold medalist Gardner grew up in Voorhees where she graduated from Eastern Regional High School in 2010. Her track achievements include a gold and a silver medal as part of the 4x100m relay team.
Comedian Chelsea Handler
(Photo credit: chelseahandler)
Chelsea Handler grew up in Livingston. She lived with her parents and five siblings and went to Livingston High School before moving to Los Angeles at the age of 19.
singer halsey
(Image credit: @iamhalsey)
Before she became the singer we know today, Halsey was born Ashley Nicolette Frangipani in Edison, New Jersey. She graduated from Warren Hills Regional High School in Washington before being discovered by the music industry.
Read more: Hoboken + Jersey City locations where you’re most likely to turn to a celebrity
Olympic gold medalist Laurie Hernandez
(Image credit: @lauriehernandez)
Laurie Hernandez flipped her way to gold during the 2016 Olympics. She is originally from Old Bridge where she was born and raised. Laurie attended Abeka Academy High School in Old Bridge before the competition.
Singer Sissy Houston
Singer Sissy Houston was the eighth and final child born to her parents in Newark. She lived there until her family moved during the Great Migration. Before she had a career in her own right, singing back-up to Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley along with Dionne Warwick, she gave birth to one of New Jersey’s brightest stars – Whitney Houston. She remains very active in the area, leading the 200-person gospel choir at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark and with whom she performs annually at McDonald’s Gospelfest at the Prudential Center.
Actress Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski has been on television since the mid-1980s. She hails from Parsippany Hills where she started her acting career in high school. After graduation, she continued acting at Rutgers University.
Actress + Rapper Queen Latifah
(Image credit: queenlatifah)
While the world knows her as Queen Latifah, Dana Elaine Owens was born in Newark. Queen Latifah spent most of her childhood with her parents in East Orange. She debuted her acting and singing skills here in New Jersey as well as in a Grammar School production Wiz.
Olympic Gold Medalist + Soccer World Cup Champion Carli Lloyd
(photo credit: carlilloyd)
American football player Carli Lloyd grew up in the town of Delran. I was introduced to football at the age of five in New Jersey and fell in love with it. She played football in high school and then at Rutgers University from 2001-2004. In 2013, she was inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Fame.
Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin
(Image credit: @sydneymclaughlin16)
Sidney McLaughlin knows what it means to bring the gold back to New Jersey. She is best known for her track performance as she specialized in the 400m hurdles. Sydney was born in New Brunswick and raised in Dunlin. She attended Union Catholic High School.
Olympic gold medalist Athing Mu
(Image credit: atiiing)
Athing Mu showed the world what she was capable of on the track during the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, winning two gold medals. This track star was born in Trenton and is one of seven children in her family.
Olympic bronze medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad
(Photo credit: ibtihajmuhammad)
Ibtihaj Muhammad represented the United States in fencing during the 2016 Olympics and has been a part of the national fencing team since 2010. She was born and raised in Maplewood. Her parents were active in the area as a special education teacher and police officer. She graduated from Columbia High School in 2003 before attending Duke University.
Actress Laura Prepon
(Image credit: @Lauraprepon)
The nation fell in love with Laura Prepon as Donna that show 70s And again like Alex Vause Orange is the new blackBut New Jersey knew her first. Laura was born in Wachung where she spent her childhood.
Actress Keshia Knight Pulliam
(Photo credit: keshiaknightpulliam)
Keshia Knight Pulliam is best known for her role as Rudy in the popular sitcom Cosby Show. She was born in Newark and lived there most of her childhood while acting on the show. She attended Rutgers Academy Prep in Somerset before moving to Virginia with her family after the show wrapped.
Actress + comedian Melissa Rauch
(Photo credit: melisarauch)
Melissa Rauch kept the country laughing for years with her role in Popular The Big Bang Theory And as the voice of different characters in films like ice Age And Batman and Harley Quinn. She hails from Marlborough and attended Marlboro Public Schools. She found her passion for comedy and acting at a young age and had the title of Melissa Comedy Club bat mitzvah.
Actress Tara Reade
(Image source: tarareid)
Tara Reid is a girl born and raised in Jersey. Before she became big, she lived with her family in Wyckoff. She started acting at the age of six, and appeared in hundreds of commercials before moving to Los Angeles to continue acting.
Watch more: Local Celebrities: Hoboken + Jersey City Residents on Reality TV
Actress + TV personality Kelly Ripa
(Image credit: @kellyripa)
Kelly Ripa proudly represents her roots in Jersey regularly He lives! With Kelly and Ryan. The actress and talk show host was born in Berlin, New Jersey, and attended High School in Voorhees. She even started her time in higher education at Camden County College before moving to New York to pursue acting.
Actress Zoe Saldana
(photo credit: zoesaldana)
Zoe Saldana is best known for her roles in symbol pictureAnd Crossroads, And guess who. However, what many people don’t know is that Zoe was born in the Garden State. She was born on June 19, 1978 in Passaic, shortly before her family moved to New York.
Actress and singer Nancy Sinatra
(Photo credit: nancysinatra)
Nancy Sinatra, daughter of Ole Blue Eyes herself, has made a career for herself. Born in Jersey City, Nancy moved to Hasbrouck Heights with her family before moving west for her acting father.
Olympian Jessica Springsteen
(Photo credit: jessicaspringsteen)
Jessica Springsteen, the daughter of one of New Jersey’s most famous residents, Bruce Springsteen, rose to the world stage during the 2020 Olympic Games as an equestrian rider. Jessica grew up in Monmouth County with her family owning homes in both Colts Neck and Romson where she started horse riding at the age of four. Jessica attended Romson Country Day School and Rani School.
Actress Meryl Streep
(Image credit: merylstreep)
This woman needs no introduction. Known as the “best actress of her generation,” actress Meryl Streep has been delivering world classics for decades. Merrill was born in Summit and spent most of her young life in Basking Ridge and Bernardsville where she began acting and singing in school plays. She was a cheerleader in high school and was also voted Homecoming Queen.
Actress + singer Ashley Tisdale
(Image credit: ashleytisdale)
Ashley Tisdale was born in Monmouth County. Here is where a talent agent discovered her at the age of three in a New Jersey shopping mall. She spent many of her childhood years performing at the Monmouth County Jewish Community Center before moving to Los Angeles with her family at the age of thirteen.
Singer + Actress Dionne Warwick
(Image credit: therealdionnew)
Dionne and Eric are a living legend in the music industry. The singer was born in Orange and spent her entire childhood in East Orange. She grew up singing along with other legends like Cece Houston and Doris “Ricky” Troy at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark.
Radio + TV personality Wendy Williams
(Photo credit: therealwendywilliamsonline)
Wendy Williams is known for never holding back her opinions on radio and television. She was born in Asbury Park and moved with her family to Ocean Township in the 1970s. Her parents were teachers in the area. She graduated from Ocean Township High School and has a street named after her in her hometown.
Actress Malinda Williams
(Image credit: malinsworld)
Melinda Williams is best known for her roles in the Showtime series Soul Food And animations like Dad’s little girls And Idlewild. Malinda grew up in Westfield and her family still has a connection to the area with her parents and sisters who live in nearby towns.
Olympian Dagmara Wozniak
(Photo credit: dagmarawozniak)
Dagmara Wozniak proudly represented the United States during the 2008 Olympic Games as part of the fencing team. When she and her family immigrated to the United States, they settled in Avignon. She graduated from Colonia High School in 2006 after becoming High School Champion Saber Fencing in 2005.
