Who Is Katherine Berkery? The Amazing Life Story of Tom Jones’ Former Partner

Katherine Berkery is a former model and reported real estate agent who became publicly known in 1989, when a New York court ruled that Welsh singer Sir Tom Jones fathered her son, Jonathan. She met Jones in October 1987 at a New York nightclub during one of his American tours, and their brief relationship led to one of the most talked about paternity cases of that decade. Many readers search her name expecting to find “the wife of Tom Jones,” but she never married him. His wife was Linda, his childhood sweetheart, and they stayed married from 1957 until her death in 2016. This article explains who Katherine Berkery is, how the story unfolded, what courts and reporters confirmed, where the facts conflict, and why she has stayed so private ever since.

Bio Table

Detail	Information
Full name	Katherine Berkery
Known for	Mother of Jonathan Berkery, son of Sir Tom Jones
Profession	Former model; later reported as a real estate agent
Nationality	American
Age in 1987	24, according to most reports (birth year about 1963; exact date not public)
Reported background	Some outlets say she was born in Korea and adopted by a New Jersey family at age eight; this detail is not confirmed by a primary source
How she met Tom Jones	At a New York nightclub in October 1987, during his U.S. tour
Relationship length	Brief; commonly described as a few days
Child	Jonathan Berkery (performs as Jon Jones)
Child’s birth date	June 27, 1988, per most sources (a few list 1987)
Legal outcome	New York Family Court ruled in July 1989 that Jones was the father
Marital status with Tom Jones	Never married
Public profile	Private; no verified social media accounts or net worth figures

Who Is Katherine Berkery?

Katherine Berkery is an American former model whose public identity comes almost entirely from her connection to Tom Jones and the paternity case that followed. Reports describe her as a young woman in her twenties when she met the singer, and several outlets add that she later worked in real estate. Beyond that, she has given very few interviews, and she has never built a public career around the story.

Here is a quick reference table with the details that multiple sources support. Where a detail varies between outlets, the table says so.

Was Katherine Berkery Married to Tom Jones?

No, Katherine Berkery never married Tom Jones, and no credible source says otherwise. Jones married Melinda Rose Trenchard, known as Linda, in March 1957 when both were 16. The couple had one son together, Mark Woodward, and they remained married for 59 years. Linda died on April 10, 2016, at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles after what her husband’s team called a short but fierce battle with cancer. She was 75.

The confusion comes from search habits. When people see a woman named in a celebrity’s family story, they often assume she was a spouse. In this case, Berkery was a brief partner during a time when Jones was married to Linda. Fox News, in its coverage of Linda’s death, noted that Jones had one son with his wife and another son, Jonathan Berkery, from a different relationship. That single sentence sums up the family picture accurately.

How Did Katherine Berkery Meet Tom Jones?

Katherine Berkery met Tom Jones in October 1987 at a nightclub in New York City while he was touring in the United States. She was 24, and he was 47. At that point Jones had been a global star for more than two decades, with hits such as “It’s Not Unusual” and “Delilah,” and he had sold tens of millions of records.

Most accounts describe the encounter as a fling that lasted about three days. Jones later spoke about the episode in an interview and admitted that he gave in to temptation. He has described his touring years openly, and in his 2015 autobiography, Over the Top and Back, he wrote about the large number of encounters he had while on the road. Linda reportedly knew about the affairs over the years, and the marriage survived them. The 1987 meeting with Berkery would have stayed a private matter if she had not become pregnant.

What Happened in the Katherine Berkery Paternity Case?

A New York Family Court ruled in July 1989 that Tom Jones was the father of Katherine Berkery’s son, Jonathan. Berkery gave birth in 1988 and then filed a paternity action in New York. Jones initially denied that the child was his. The court ordered blood and DNA testing, and the results supported Berkery’s claim.

Newspapers covered the ruling widely. The Deseret News reported in July 1989 that a Family Court judge found Jones to be the father of one year old Jonathan Jones Berkery. Some later articles say the case came before Judith Sheindlin, who served as a Manhattan Family Court judge at the time and later became a television personality. Treat that detail with care, since it appears mainly in secondary sources.

The financial terms are less clear. Several outlets report a monthly child support payment of $1,700 until Jonathan turned 18. Other sites cite $2,500 a month. Some reports also mention an out of court settlement of about £50,000. A 1989 news report said the exact amount was not shared publicly. Because the figures differ, a careful writer should say “reported” whenever quoting them. A later court decision in Florida, which reviewed the case history, described the New York proceeding and confirmed that a New York court had adjudicated Jones as the father.

Who Is Jonathan Berkery, Katherine Berkery’s Son?

Jonathan Berkery is Katherine Berkery’s son and the second son of Tom Jones. He was born on June 27, 1988, and grew up primarily with his mother in the New York and New Jersey area. Most reports say she raised him largely on her own.

Jonathan later became a singer and performs under the stage name Jon Jones. Media outlets often note that his baritone voice draws comparisons to his father’s. He has spoken publicly about growing up without a relationship with Jones. In interviews reported by the Daily Mail and repeated by other outlets, he said he wanted recognition and a chance to meet his father, not help with his career.

Jonathan has a half brother, Mark Woodward, who is Jones’ son with Linda. Mark has managed his father’s career since 1986 and played a major role in reviving it after a slump in the early 1980s. Jonathan and Mark have reportedly never developed a public relationship.

How Did Tom Jones Respond After the Ruling?

Tom Jones paid the court ordered support but kept his distance from Jonathan for decades. Reports say Jones did not publicly acknowledge the boy as his son until 2008, nearly twenty years after the ruling. In that interview, he suggested he had been seduced and made clear that he did not plan to build a relationship.

That public position has drawn criticism from tabloids and commentators, and it has drawn sympathy for Jonathan. It has also kept the story alive. Every few years, a new article revisits the question of whether father and son will ever meet. As of the most recent coverage available, sources say they have not.

Katherine Berkery stayed out of that later debate. She did not join the tabloid interviews that surrounded her son, and she did not publish a memoir. Her silence stands out in a media environment where many people in similar situations sell their stories.

Where Is Katherine Berkery Now?

Katherine Berkery lives a private life, and no reliable source publishes her current address, employer, or personal accounts. Some websites claim to know her whereabouts, her net worth, or her daily routine, but they rarely cite anything checkable. One outlet said plainly that no verified information exists about her net worth, and that statement matches the evidence.

Respecting that privacy matters. Berkery did not seek fame. She entered the news because a court case involving a celebrity became public record, and she has not asked for continued attention. Responsible coverage sticks to the documented facts: her 1987 relationship with Jones, Jonathan’s birth, the 1989 ruling, and the later reporting on her son.

Why Do Facts About Katherine Berkery Conflict Online?

The facts conflict because most articles about her come from secondary websites that copy each other and rarely check original records. A few examples show the pattern:

• Jonathan’s birth year: Most sources say 1988, but some list 1987 and a few list September 1987.
• Her ethnic background and adoption: Some outlets describe Korean birth and adoption by an American family. Others only say she has Asian roots. No primary document appears in the coverage.
• Child support amount: Figures range from $1,700 to $2,500 a month.
• Timeline of the relationship: One site says it began in the early 1980s, while the best documented accounts place the meeting in October 1987.
• Occupation: Some sources call her a model only; others add that she worked as a real estate agent.

You can protect yourself from bad information with a few habits. First, prefer contemporary news reports, court records, and established outlets over anonymous biography sites. Second, look for details that several independent sources share, such as the October 1987 meeting and the July 1989 ruling. Third, treat precise personal claims, especially about a private person’s finances or location, as unverified unless a named source backs them.

What Does the Katherine Berkery Story Show?

The story shows how a private person can land in a public narrative through no effort of her own. Berkery did what many people in her position would do: she asked a court to establish paternity so her child would have legal recognition and financial support. The court agreed with her, and the ruling settled the legal question in 1989.

It also shows how long a celebrity story can last. Three decades of articles, interviews, and search traffic have grown from one short relationship and one court decision. Each new piece tends to repeat the same core facts, then add speculation to fill gaps. A reader who wants a clear picture should focus on the confirmed facts and ignore the padding.

Finally, the story highlights a family reality that public figures sometimes prefer to avoid. Tom Jones spent 59 years married to Linda, and he has spoken with deep affection about her since she died. He also fathered a second son outside that marriage. Both truths sit in the public record, and neither cancels the other.

Conclusion

Katherine Berkery is a former model and the mother of Jonathan Berkery, and she became known because a New York court ruled in 1989 that Tom Jones was his father. She never married Jones, whose wife Linda died in 2016. Berkery has kept a low profile for decades, so readers should trust documented reports over online rumor about her current life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Katherine Berkery?

Katherine Berkery is an American former model, later reported as a real estate agent. She became publicly known after a brief 1987 relationship with Welsh singer Tom Jones produced a son, Jonathan Berkery. A New York Family Court confirmed Jones as the father in July 1989. She has stayed out of the spotlight since then.

Was Katherine Berkery the wife of Tom Jones?

No. Katherine Berkery never married Tom Jones. Jones was married to Linda (Melinda Rose Woodward) from 1957 until Linda died in April 2016. Berkery met Jones in October 1987, while he was still married, and their relationship was brief. She is his former partner and the mother of his son Jonathan.

Who is Katherine Berkery’s son?

Her son is Jonathan Berkery, born on June 27, 1988, according to most sources. A court confirmed Tom Jones as his father in 1989. Jonathan grew up mainly with his mother and later became a singer who performs as Jon Jones. He has said publicly that he hopes to meet his father someday.

What happened in the Katherine Berkery and Tom Jones paternity case?

Berkery filed a paternity action in New York after Jonathan’s birth, and Jones first denied he was the father. Blood and DNA testing supported her claim, and a Family Court judge ruled in July 1989 that Jones was the father. Jones then paid court ordered child support, though outlets report different amounts.

Where is Katherine Berkery today?

No reliable source publishes her current location or job. She lives privately and has given almost no interviews. Websites that claim to know her net worth or daily life rarely cite evidence, so treat those claims with caution. The confirmed facts cover her 1987 relationship, her son’s birth, and the 1989 ruling.