Who is Katherine Berkery? The fascinating story of Tom Jones' baby's mom
Katherine Berkery is a former model and real estate agent widely known as the mother of Tom Jones' son. Tom Jones is a Welsh singer famous for hits including Delilah, It's Not Unusual, and You Can Leave Your Hat On. Katherine's brief relationship with the singer in the 1980s led to a paternity case that made headlines. What is her full story, and where does it stand today?
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Katherine Berkery is a former 1980s model and later real estate agent who is best known publicly for her brief 1987 relationship with singer Tom Jones.
- Katherine Berkery's son, Jonathan Berkery, alias Jon Jones, was born in 1988 after a court-ordered DNA test confirmed Tom Jones as his father.
- Tom Jones was married to Melinda Trenchard from 1957 until she died in 2016. Their only child together is Mark Woodward.
- As of 2026, Tom Jones and Jonathan Berkery remain estranged and, by most accounts, have never met in person, despite Jonathan expressing interest in reconciling.
Profile summary
Full name | Katherine Berkery |
Gender | Female |
Year of birth | 1963 |
Age | 63 years old (as of 2026) |
Place of birth | Korea |
Current residence | United States |
Nationality | Korean-American |
Ethnicity | Asian |
Religion | Christianity |
Sexuality | Straight |
Height | 5'7" (170 cm) |
Weight | 132 lb (60 kg) |
Hair colour | Dark brown |
Eye colour | Brown |
Relationship status | Single |
Children | 1 |
Profession | Former model and real estate agent |
Who is Katherine Berkery?
Katherine Berkery is a former model and real estate agent. She is most widely recognised as the mother of Jonathan Berkery, the son she had with Welsh singer Tom Jones following a brief relationship in 1987.
Unlike her son, who has spoken to the press on several occasions, Katherine has largely stayed out of the spotlight and given very few public interviews about her life.
Numerous entertainment sites report that Katherine Berkery was born in South Korea in 1963 and was adopted as a child by a family from New Jersey, growing up in the United States. This account has been repeated across many outlets, but it should be treated as reported rather than confirmed.
Source: Original
Katherine Berkery's age
Katherine Berkery is reported to have been born in 1963, though her exact date of birth has not been publicly confirmed. That would make her 63 years old as of 2026. She is commonly described as a Korean-American former model who later transitioned into real estate.
Career
Katherine Berkery began her modelling career in the 1980s, reportedly working runway shows in Milan, Paris, and New York City. She also worked as a shipping clerk at Regine's, a well-known Manhattan nightclub, during that period.
She later moved into real estate. In 2006, she took a small acting role in the short film Picture Perfect, written and directed by Brett Meyer, portraying a club-goer.
What happened to Katherine Berkery?
Katherine Berkery met Tom Jones at a New York nightclub in October 1987. She was 24 at the time, while Jones was 47 and on a US tour.
Tom was already married to his wife, Melinda Trenchard, alias Linda. After his performance the next evening, the two had dinner and spent time together at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Manhattan. She fell pregnant during the fling.
Source: Getty Images
The paternity case
Katherine Berkery's son, Jonathan, was born on 27 June 1988. Tom Jones initially denied paternity, and Katherine took the matter to court in 1989.
A judge ordered a DNA test, which confirmed Tom as the father. He was ordered to pay child support until Jonathan turned 18. The famous singer paid $1,700 a month for his son's upkeep.
Tom Jones fulfilled the financial obligation, but never built a personal relationship with Jonathan. Speaking about his dad's absence, Jonathan said:
I don't want anything from my dad, just his recognition. Not having a father growing up was tough. All I ever wanted was his love. People think I look and sound like a younger version of my dad. I sing all his songs. People stop and stare as soon as I start singing.
Katherine Berkery continues to keep a low public profile and has not given a recent interview about her life or her son's career.
How Tom Jones' absence affected Jonathan
Jonathan Berkery has spoken publicly about how his father's absence affected him growing up, including struggles with anger, frequent school changes, and substance use as a teenager.
I was very angry. My anger boiled over in school—I fought every kid and rebelled constantly. I lost count of the times I changed schools. I needed a father figure. I leaned towards older bad guys.
In 2008, Tom Jones was quoted as saying the words below when asked about Jonathan:
It wasn’t something I had planned. If I had planned it, I would have done something more than just financially. But it wasn’t. I just fell for it. I just fell for the seduction.
Responding to the words above, Jonathan said:
Those words hurt. It wasn't my choice to be born. You don't get to be as famous as my father without being prepared to hurt people along the way.
Why does Tom Jones not want to meet his son?
In 2018, Jonathan disclosed his wish to meet his dad and make peace with him. It was after the singer was admitted to hospital battling a bacterial infection. He spoke about this during an interview with Sunday Mirror. He said:
He's not well...I want to see my dad and make my peace with him. When I was younger, I was angry and confused. I didn't want to see him. But now I worry about him constantly.
Even so, the father and son duo do not have an active relationship. Sir Tom has previously revealed that he has no interest in forging a relationship with Jonathan because he feels that Katherine Berkery tricked him into unplanned fatherhood.
Jonathan Berkery's singing career
Katherine Berkery's son, Jonathan, who performs under the stage name Jon Jones, is an aspiring musician known for a deep baritone voice that listeners often compare to his father's. Clips of him busking and performing covers, including some of Tom Jones' classic songs at small venues and on the streets, have circulated widely.
Reports describe him still performing locally while working to build a music career following periods of financial hardship, including homelessness, in earlier years. As of 2026, Tom Jones and Jonathan Berkery are still reported to be estranged, with no confirmed meeting between the two.
Source: Getty Images
Who is Tom Jones' wife and children?
Tom Jones married his childhood sweetheart, Melinda Rose Trenchard, known as Linda, in 1957, when both were 16. Their only child together, Mark Woodward, was born the same year.
Mark grew up and became his father's manager in the 1980s. He remains closely involved in Tom Jones' career. Tom Jones' wife, Linda, died in April 2016 at age 75 after a battle with cancer.
Tom Jones has not been reported to remarry since her death. Beyond Mark Woodward, Tom Jones' only other child is Jonathan Berkery, born from his 1987 relationship with Katherine Berkery.
Source: Getty Images
FAQs
- Who is Katherine Berkery? She is a former model and real estate agent, best known as the mother of Tom Jones' son, Jonathan Berkery.
- Who is Tom Jones' illegitimate son? Tom Jones' son born outside his marriage is Jonathan Berkery, whom he had with former model Katherine Berkery following a brief relationship in 1987. A court-ordered DNA test confirmed his paternity in 1989.
- Why does Tom Jones not want to meet his son? Tom Jones has said the pregnancy was unplanned and has described the relationship with Katherine Berkery as something he "fell into" rather than something he intended. While he has met his financial obligations, he has not explained in detail why he has chosen not to build a personal relationship with Jonathan.
- Who is Tom Jones's wife? Tom Jones was married to Linda Trenchard from 1957 until she died in 2016.
- Who is Mark Woodward? He is Tom Jones' manager and son with the late Linda.
Katherine Berkery is a former model whose brief relationship with Tom Jones in 1987 led to a paternity case that placed her, and later her son Jonathan, in the public eye. While she has largely avoided publicity since then, Jonathan has spoken openly about growing up without a relationship with his famous father. As of July 2026, the two remain estranged, and Katherine continues to live a private life away from the media attention.
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Cyprine Apindi (Lifestyle writer) Cyprine Apindi is a content creator and educator with over seven years of experience. She holds a Diploma in Mass Communication and a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Kenyatta University (graduated in 2017). Cyprine joined Briefly.co.za in mid-2021, covering multiple topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. In 2023, she finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. In 2024, she completed the Google News Initiative course. Cyprine received the 2023 and 2025 Writer of the Year awards. Email: cyprineapindi@gmail.com
Isaac Wangethi (Lifestyle writer) Isaac Wangethi is a writer at Legit.ng. He joined the team in September 2021 and has over five years of experience. Isaac specialises in celebrity biographies, lifestyles, and news reports. He has won the Legit Writer of the Year Award multiple times (2023, 2024, 2025). Isaac earned a BSc in Information Technology from the UoN in 2017. He also holds a Higher Diploma in Computer Software Engineering from Gretsa University (2021). Isaac completed the AFP Digital Investigation Techniques course in 2023 and the Google News Initiative training in March 2024. Email: Wangethin@gmail.com.
