{{short description|Former First Lady of New Jersey}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Dina Matos | office = First Lady of New Jersey | term_start = January 15, 2002 | term_end = November 15, 2004 | term_label = In role | predecessor = Diane DiFrancesco | successor = Mary Jo Codey | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|11|5}} | birth_place = Cantanhede, Portugal | spouse = {{marriage|Jim McGreevey|2000|2008|end=div.}}<br>{{marriage|Paul Zuccarino|2018}} | children = 1 | education = Rutgers University–Newark (attended) }} '''Dina Matos''' (born November 5, 1966<ref name="tangled journey">Capuzzo, Jill P. [https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/07/nyregion/the-tangled-journey-of-a-governors-wife.html "The Tangled Journey Of a Governor's Wife"], ''The New York Times'', November 7, 2004. Accessed December 30, 2007. "The McGreeveys will be moving out of Drumthwacket, the governor's Greek Revival mansion in Princeton, and go their separate ways — she to a red-brick ranch she bought for an undisclosed price in Springfield, Union County."</ref>) is a former First Lady of New Jersey. She served as first lady during the administration of her then-husband, New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey. McGreevey was elected governor of New Jersey in 2001. At an August 2004 press conference, McGreevey—with Matos at his side—stated that he was gay, that he had engaged in an affair with a man, and that he was resigning from office. Matos and McGreevey began living apart in November 2004, the same month McGreevey left office. A divorce was granted on August 8, 2008. Matos published a book entitled ''Silent Partner: A Memoir of My Marriage'' in 2007.
==Early life and education== Matos is the daughter of Maria and Ricardo Matos. They moved to the United States from Portugal when she was still young and settled in the heavily Portuguese Ironbound section of Newark. Maria worked in a gift shop, and Ricardo worked for the railroad.<ref name=firstwife>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/14/nyregion/governor-resigns-wives-with-discretion-two-women-stand-governor-his-time.html?pagewanted=all|title=THE GOVERNOR RESIGNS: THE WIVES; With Discretion, Two Women Stand By the Governor in His Time of Tribulation|date=2004-08-14|accessdate=2008-03-10|author=O'Donnell, Michelle|author2=Collins, Glenn|work=The New York Times}}</ref>
After graduating from East Side High School, Matos enrolled at the Newark campus of Rutgers University in 1984. She majored in political science and also worked as a secretary while in college. Matos was enrolled in college until 1991. As of 2004, she had not received a degree.<ref name=firstwife />
==Personal life== Matos met Jim McGreevey in 1996 when he was mayor of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. Matos began dating McGreevey the following year, shortly after he lost his first bid for governor to Christine Todd Whitman.<ref name=firstwife /> McGreevey had separated from his first wife, Kari Schutz, in 1995 and was divorced in 1997.<ref name=firstwife /> Matos married McGreevey in 2000,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna24864521|title=McGreevey's wife says she was 'full partner'|date=May 29, 2008|website=NBC News}}</ref> and McGreevey was elected governor of New Jersey in 2001.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A07EED71039F934A35752C1A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|title=THE 2001 ELECTIONS: GOVERNOR; Democrat Vows to Alter Way 'Business Is Done in Trenton'|date=November 7, 2001|work=The New York Times|last=Halbfinger |first=David}}</ref> Together, Matos and McGreevey have a daughter, Jacqueline, who was born in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct_archive/jul_aug07/features2.html|title=An American First |website=college.columbia.edu|last=Fastenberg|first=Dan|date=July–August 2007}}</ref>
McGreevey was accompanied by Matos<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna16949040|title=Gay ex-N.J. governor seeks divorce|date=February 2, 2007|website=NBC News}}</ref> at a nationally televised August 2004 press conference<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/15/nyregion/mcgreeveys-legacy-is-far-different-from-what-he-promised.html|title=McGreevey's Legacy Is Far Different From What He Promised|first=David|last=Kocieniewski|work=The New York Times |date=November 15, 2004|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> in which he identified himself as a gay man, stated that he had engaged in an affair with another man, and announced that he would resign from office.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/12/mcgreevey.nj/|title=New Jersey governor quits, comes out as gay|date=August 13, 2004|website=www.cnn.com}}</ref> McGreevey left office in November 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newjerseymonitor.com/2023/11/09/ex-gov-jim-mcgreevey-seeks-second-chance-this-time-as-mayor-of-jersey-city/|title=Ex-Gov. Jim McGreevey seeks second chance, this time as mayor of Jersey City |website=newjerseymonitor.com|first=Sophie|last=Nieto-Munoz|date=November 9, 2023}}</ref> Matos and McGreevey began living apart that same month. The couple legally separated on January 12, 2007,<ref name="auto"/> and McGreevey filed for divorce in July 2007.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/ledgerarchives/2007/02/mcgreeveys_at_odds_over_divorc.html|title=McGreeveys at odds over divorce filing|first=Laura |last=Craven|date=February 3, 2007|website=NJ.com}}</ref> The Matos–McGreevey divorce and custody battle gained much media attention in New Jersey. Both parents sought full custody of their daughter, and Matos sought alimony.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2948803 |title=McGreevey wants custody and support from Matos|website=ABC News}}</ref> The divorce was finalized on August 8, 2008,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://montclairlocal.news/2008/08/mcgreevey-divorce-settled/|title=McGreevey Divorce Settled|first=Annette|last=Batson|date=August 8, 2008|website=Montclair Local}}</ref> and Matos received joint custody and child support.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-gay-governor-divorce,0,1259495.story|title=Judge in N.J. grants McGreevey divorce, orders ex-governor to pay child support but no alimony|date=2008-08-08|accessdate=2008-08-08|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Chicago Tribune|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080524055834/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-gay-governor-divorce,0,1259495.story|archivedate=2008-05-24}}</ref>
Matos announced in January 2007 that she was writing a book to end media speculation on her life. In the book, Matos wrote that she would never have married McGreevey or had a child with him if she had known he was gay.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/03172008/news/regionalnews/i_was_mcg_and_wifes_three_way_sex_stud___102326.htm|title=I Was McG and Wife's Three-way Sex Stud: Ex-driver|date=2008-03-17|accessdate=2008-03-17|last=MacIntosh |first=Jeanne |work=New York Post}}</ref> Her book, ''Silent Partner: A Memoir of My Marriage'', was published on May 1, 2007.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna18418637|title=Ex-N.J. governor's wife talks to Oprah|date=May 1, 2007|website=NBC News}}</ref> That day, Matos broke her silence and spoke on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show''.<ref> {{Cite web |title=Jim McGreevey's Ex-Wife Ignores Signs of Deception |url=https://www.oprah.com/oprahs-lifeclass/jim-mcgreeveys-ex-wife-ignores-signs-of-deception-video |access-date=2023-06-22 |website=Oprah.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/the-dina-mcgreevey-interview_1 |title=Transcript of Dina Matos McGreevey interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show |website=Oprah.com}}</ref> In that interview, recalling the day when McGreevey announced his alleged affair at a press conference, Matos said: "I smiled because I didn't want to break down" and added that McGreevey had told her that she had to "be Jackie Kennedy". Matos said, "I'm thinking, Jackie Kennedy? Her husband was murdered. You cheated on me and I have to be Jackie Kennedy"?<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.recordonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2007/05/01/james-e-mcgreevey-s-wife/52911067007/|title=James E. McGreevey's wife tells Oprah she didn't know the former New Jersey governor was gay, on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show'|first=Ashley |last=Heher|website=Times Herald-Record|date=May 1, 2007}}</ref>
On May 2, 2007, Matos appeared on ABC's ''Good Morning America'' with Diane Sawyer and stated:
<blockquote>I thought I had it all, I thought it was the American dream, and it turned out to be a nightmare. ... You know he had the entire day [that he resigned] scripted. His entire life had been choreographed, and even as his world was falling apart, he was still trying to script everything and making sure that day went as he wanted it.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3120819&page=1 |work=ABC News |title=Matos says through it all McGreevey had everything choreographed for his own benefit |date=2007-05-02 }}</ref></blockquote>
Matos married Paul Zuccarino in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ssnvoices.libsyn.com/s2-ep1-an-interview-with-dina-matos-former-first-lady-of-the-state-of-new-jersey-straight-spouse-in-the-public-eye|title=OurVoices with Kristin Kalbli: S2 Ep1: An Interview with Dina Matos, Former First Lady of the State of New Jersey: Straight Spouse in the Public Eye|website=ssnvoices.libsyn.com}}</ref>
==Career== Matos is a former first lady of New Jersey.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3105259&page=1|title=McGreevey's Wife: 'He Was a Great Actor'|website=ABC News|date=May 1, 2007}}</ref> Matos has also served as executive director of the Columbus Hospital Foundation in Newark, New Jersey.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna6288881|title=N.J. governor's wife is going her own way|date=October 20, 2004|website=NBC News}}</ref>
==Other endeavors== Matos speaks fluent Portuguese and has worked to obtain green cards and naturalization for Portuguese immigrants. In June 2004, she was grand marshal of the Portugal Day parade in Newark.<ref name=firstwife />
Matos's book, ''Silent Partner: A Memoir of My Marriage'', was published on May 1, 2007.<ref name="auto1"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|3451102}}
{{s-start}} {{succession box|title=First Lady of New Jersey|before=Diane DiFrancesco|after=Mary Jo Codey|years=January 2002 – November 2004}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matos, Dina}} Category:Portuguese emigrants to the United States Category:East Side High School (Newark, New Jersey) alumni Category:First ladies and gentlemen of New Jersey Category:People from Newark, New Jersey Category:People from Springfield Township, Union County, New Jersey Category:People from Woodbridge Township, New Jersey Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:Rutgers University–Newark alumni Category:People from Cantanhede, Portugal