What Happened To Usha, J.D. Vance's Wife, After Hillbilly Elegy

Summary Usha Vance, a Yale Law graduate, worked in law firms and clerked for prominent judges.

Usha left her law job after J.D. Vance was announced as Trump's VP running mate.

J.D. and Usha Vance are still married with three children, residing in Ohio.

Hillbilly Elegy tells the life story of vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance, including the early days of his relationship with his future wife, Usha Vance (née Chilukuri). The 2020 drama film, directed by Ron Howard and written by Vanessa Taylor, is based on Vance's 2016 novel Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis. Howard brings Vance's story to life on the screen by switching between two periods in his life — one with him as a child enduring the abuse of his mother, and the other with Vance as a young adult attending law school and dating Usha.

Award-winning actress Freida Pinto, known for her breakout role as Latika in Slumdog Millionaire, stars as Usha Vance in Hillbilly Elegy on Netflix.

Hillbilly Elegy debuted on Netflix on November 24, 2020, and was poorly received by the average critic. The drama movie's Rotten Tomatoes score sits at 25 percent, partly due to Hillbilly Elegy's controversies. Many believed that the film exploited the working class and Appalachian values, echoing the reviews of Vance's memoir when it was published in 2016. Despite Hillbilly Elegy's shortcomings, the Vance family, including Usha, seem to have thrived in their careers and are doing good for themselves in the years following the movie's release.

Usha Vance Graduated From Yale Law & Had A Successful Law Career

J.D. Vance Met Usha At Yale Law School

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As depicted in the 2020 biopic Hillbilly Elegy on Netflix, J.D. Vance met Usha Chilukuri while they were both attending Yale Law School in the early 2010s. According to the New York Times, Usha, whose parents are immigrants from India, grew up in a suburb of San Diego, California, before receiving a bachelor's degree in history from Yale University. Then, Usha graduated from Clare College at the University of Cambridge in England with a Master of Philosophy in early modern history. Usha returned to Yale for law school, started dating Vance, and graduated alongside her future husband in 2013.

Hillbilly Elegy Cast Role Amy Adams Beverly Vance Glenn Close Bonnie "Mamaw" Vance Gabriel Basso J.D. Vance Haley Bennett Lindsay Vance Freida Pinto Usha Bo Hopkins Papaw Vance Tierney Smith Young Beverly Sunny Mabrey Young Bonnie Owen Asztalos Young J.D.

After leaving Yale Law School, Usha (played by Freida Pinto in the Hillbilly Elegy cast) served as a law clerk for Brett Kavanaugh, per The Cinemaholic. Kavanaugh was a circuit judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia while Usha worked for him. Donald Trump later nominated Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018. Usha then moved on to a clerkship for Chief Justice John Roberts. Afterward, Usha worked as a lawyer at the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson, where she remained for more than five years.

Usha Vance Resigned From Her Law Firm Job

Usha Left After Donald Trump Announced J.D. Vance As His VP Running Mate

According to The Hill, Usha Vance quit her job at Munger, Tolles & Olson in July 2024. This news came shortly after Republican Party candidate Donald Trump announced that her husband, J.D. Vance, would be his vice presidential pick for the 2024 United States presidential election. Usha's former law firm released a statement on her departure that reads:

"Usha has informed us she has decided to leave the firm. Usha has been an excellent lawyer and colleague, and we thank her for her years of work and wish her the best in her future career."

Usha assumingly left Munger, Tolles & Olson to focus on supporting her husband during the presidential race in the United States. Election Day will be on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. If Trump were to win, Usha would become the first woman of Indian descent to serve as Second Lady of the United States. Nevertheless, following the announcement that Vance would be Trump's running mate, Netflix's poorly-received 2020 book adaptation Hillbilly Elegy saw a significant surge in viewership on the streaming service, increasing interest in the Vance family.

Related How American Rust Follows In Hillbilly Elegy's Footsteps (For Better Or Worse) American Rust seems to be Hillbilly Elegy's successor, but it is different enough to have its own identity. Here is what the show handles differently.

J.D. & Usha Vance Are Still Married & Have 3 Children

The Couple Married In 2014

As referenced at the end of Hillbilly Elegy's true story, Usha and J.D. Vance got married in Kentucky one year after graduating from Yale Law School. Usha and Vance later moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2018 to be closer to his family and raise their children. The couple's first son, Ewan, was born in June 2017, and he was followed by their second son, Vivek, in February 2020. While Hillbilly Elegy's end credits state that Usha and Vance have two children, Usha gave birth to a daughter named Mirabel in December 2021, about a year after the movie was released.

Hillbilly Elegy Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Directed by Ron Howard for release on Netflix, Hillbilly Elegy is a Drama film released in 2020 and stars Amy Adams and Glenn Close. The plot is based on author J.D. Vance's memoir of the same name and follows a family as they attempt to deal with their mother's unstable lifestyle. Director Ron Howard Release Date November 24, 2020 Distributor(s) Netflix Writers Vanessa Taylor , J.D. Vance Cast Bo Hopkins , Freida Pinto , David Atkinson , Sunny Mabrey , Haley Bennett , Gabriel Basso , Glenn Close , Dylan Gage , Amy Adams Runtime 116 minutes Expand

Sources: New York Times, The Cinemaholic, The Hill