J.D. Vance shared his personal story and experiences growing up in his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," which was later made into a movie. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in his book and movie following the announcement of him being chosen as Donald Trump's running mate.

JD Vance Memoir Hillbilly Elegy

JD Vance was born on August 2, 1984 in Middletown, Ohio to his parents Beverly Carol and Donald Ray Bowman. His mother Beverly also had a daughter named Lindsay in 1979. Unfortunately, James' father left the family when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother to care for him and his sister.

When J.D. was a teenager, his father made a brief appearance in his life and disapproved of his music preference which ranged from bands like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin to artists like Eric Clapton. Despite this, later in life, J.D. found solace in religion and became a devoted Catholic, choosing to get baptized at the age of 35 in 2019.

His childhood suffered due to mother's drug addiction


Vance's early years were difficult, as his mother battled drug addiction and abuse which affected him and his sister. Eventually, they were taken in by their grandparents who provided a stable and loving environment for them to grow up in. Despite their struggles, the family remained close-knit and bonded through their shared experiences.

J.D. Vance Parents

Her mother worked as a nurse


Beverly's job as a nurse led to her abusing prescription medications, causing chaos and disorder in the household while J.D. was growing up. Beverly was arrested when J.D. was 12. After Beverly separated from Donald, she went through several relationships, resulting in multiple father figures for J.D.

Eventually, she married Bob Hamel who adopted J.D. However, they later divorced leading to J.D.'s name changing once more. Ultimately, J.D. took on his maternal last name, Vance, after his grandparents became his caregivers.