Who is Jon Batiste’s multitalented wife, Suleika Jaouad? The bestselling author and her Grammy-winning husband, who she first met at band camp, made an Oscar-nominated film about her cancer journey
Jaouad, who is also a journalist and painter, served on Barack Obama’s Presidential Cancer Panel and won an Emmy for the videos based on her acclaimed New York Times column, Life, Interrupted
Batiste’s piano, painted by his wife Suleika Jaouad, was a part of the Sing for Hope Pianos New Orleans 2025 initiative, reports Billboard. Batiste sits on the board of non-profit organisation Sing for Hope, which placed 10 public pianos across New Orleans’ Ninth Ward in celebration of the 2025 Super Bowl, which was hosted in the city for the 11th time.
Days before his triumphant performance at the Super Bowl, Batiste and his wife Suleika Jaouad won a Grammy award for the song “It Never Went Away” from their Netflix doc American Symphony, which was also awarded the gong for best music film. Earlier this year, the film was also nominated for an Oscar.
So, who is Suleika Jaouad, who, per People, inspired Batiste’s song “Show Me the Way”?
She’s living with cancer
Suleika Jaouad first battled cancer at the age of 22 when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, per People. It returned in 2021 and again in late 2024. The 36-year-old now dedicates much of her time to advocating for cancer research. She was once on former US president Barack Obama’s Presidential Cancer Panel and won the Inspire Award for her work with the National Marrow Donor Program.
She’s a journalist and author
Before university, Suleika Jaouad attended a programme at The Juilliard School for double bass players, then graduated from Princeton with a bachelor’s degree in Near Eastern studies and earned a master’s in writing and literature from Bennington College, per her website.