Jason Lee (born August 16, 1977) is a podcaster, reality television star, philanthropist, and entertainment businessperson currently serving as the Vice Mayor of

Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is the most populous city in the county, the List of municipal ...

. He is the founder of '' Hollywood Unlocked'', and former host of the podcast ''Hollywood Unlocked with Jason Lee'' and the television series ''The Jason Lee Show''. He gained popularity for his recurring appearances in the reality series '' Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood''. In November 2024, Lee was elected to the city council of Stockton, California, his hometown.

Early life and career

Jason Lee Johnson was born on August 16, 1977, in

.Jason Lee: Battle To Success From Trauma & Hardship
, unCrazed. Retrieved on March 9, 2024 He was born to an African-American father and a White mother of Italian and Greek descent. His parents never married. His older brother was murdered in a drive-by shooting when Lee was fifteen years old. Lee moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

in 2006, where he was a labor union director until 2009.

Reality television

Lee has appeared on the reality television show '' Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood'', first in the second season in 2015, and then again in seasons three and six. He later became a recurring cast member on the sketch television game show ''

Wild 'N Out ''Wild 'n Out'' is an American sketch comedy and battle rap improv game show television series created and hosted by musician and comedian Nick Cannon currently airing on VH1. It debuted on July 28, 2005, on MTV. Premise Similar in premise ...

''.

''Hollywood Unlocked with Jason Lee''

In 2010, Lee founded an eponymous website that grew into the podcast ''Hollywood Unlocked with Jason Lee'', which was founded in 2015. The blog and podcast earned a reputation for being a friendly environment to celebrity figures in the music and entertainment industries. On the podcast, Lee interviews public figures, and his past interviews have included public figures such as

Cardi B Belcalis Marlenis Cephus (; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper. Noted for her unfiltered public image and lyrics, Cardi B is one of the most successful female rappers. From 2015 to early 2017, she ga ...

Amber Rose Amber Rose Levonchuck (born October 21, 1983) is an American model and television personality. She gained attention after she starred in the music video for Young Jeezy's 2008 single " Put On", which featured Kanye West. She began a romantic re ...

Tiffany Haddish Tiffany Sara Cornilia Haddish (born December 3, 1979) is an American stand-up comedian and actress. Her breakthrough came in with a leading role in the comedy film '' Girls Trip'' (2017), which earned her several accolades and was included on ...

Floyd Mayweather Floyd may refer to: As a name * Floyd (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Floyd (surname), a list of people and fictional characters Places in the United States * Floyd, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Floyd, I ...

, and

Kevin Hart Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979) is an American comedian and actor. The accolades he has received include the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and nominations for two Grammy Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards. After winning se ...

. Lee acts as the CEO of Hollywood Unlocked Inc. Lee is also known for his use of social media to critique contemporary American culture. In 2022, Lee raised controversy by claiming the death of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

had already occurred (it did not until later in the year). Lee has also moderated live panels at conferences such as the

Black Enterprise ''Black Enterprise'' (stylized in all caps) is an American multimedia company. A Black-owned business since the 1970s, its flagship product ''Black Enterprise'' magazine has covered African American businesses with a readership of 3.7 mil ...

FWD Conference in 2019 and 2022 Revolt Summit x

AT&T AT&T Inc., an abbreviation for its predecessor's former name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the w ...

. He later signed a television production deal with

Fox Soul Fox Soul is a digital television network and live streaming service operated by Fox Corporation that launched on January 13, 2020. Named after soul music, the network focuses on two demographics; the African American experience and Christian med ...

in 2020. In 2020, Lee launched the Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards, an annual event to honor influencers, celebrities and icons who have made a lasting effect on Black culture. Previous Impact Award honorees include Chlöe Bailey,

Law Roach Lawrence Roach is an American fashion stylist, best-known for his work with artists such as Zendaya, Céline Dion, and Anya Taylor-Joy. Roach served as a primary judge on the Max competition series '' Legendary'' (2020–2022). He announced his ...

Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ...

Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...

Tupac Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

, Catherine Brewton,

Kelis Kelis Rogers (; born August 21, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and chef. She attended Manhattan, New York's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she played saxophone and was selected for the Girls Ch ...

Karen Bass Karen Ruth Bass (; born October 3, 1953) is an American politician who has served as the 43rd mayor of Los Angeles since 2022. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Bass previously served in the United States House ...

and

Lizzo Melissa Viviane Jefferson (born April 27, 1988), known professionally as Lizzo (), is an American singer and rapper. Born in Detroit, Michigan, she moved to Houston, Texas, with her family at the age of ten. After college, she moved to Minn ...

''The Jason Lee Show''

In 2023, he released the eponymous Revolt TV television show ''The Jason Lee Show'', where he also interviews public figures such as Cardi B and

Laverne Cox Laverne Cox (born May 29, 1972) is an American actress and LGBTQ advocate. She rose to prominence with her role as Sophia Burset on the Netflix series '' Orange Is the New Black'', becoming the first transgender person to be nominated for a ...

. In February 2025 ''The Jason Lee Show'' began airing on The

Zeus Network Zeus Network (colloquially Zeus) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It was founded by social media personalities DeStorm Power, Amanda Cerny, King Bach, and television producer Lemuel Plummer, who serve ...

marking a transition from Revolt TV.

Ye

From March to October 2022, Lee was the Head of Media and Partnerships for Ye, formerly known as

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

. Prior to that, Lee had served as a consultant on the release of Ye’s album ''

Donda 2 ''Donda 2'' is the eleventh studio album by American rapper Kanye West. It has also been described as a Demo (music), demo, having been released in an unfinished state with four songs on Kano Computing's Stem Player on February 23, 2022, with a ...

''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Jason American television hosts 1977 births Living people Reality television participants People from Stockton, California, by occupation Television personalities from Los Angeles