John Freeman is a former New York City prosecutor who is married to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The couple married in 2011 and have two children, Cole and Caroline, who were born through surrogacy.
Freeman has maintained a relatively private public profile compared with his husband, whose career in finance and later government brought greater media attention to their family.
Freeman and Bessent have longstanding connections to Charleston, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C. Bessent identified Freeman as his spouse and Cole and Caroline as their children during his 2025 Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing.
The family also became associated with the historic John Ravenel House in Charleston, which Freeman and Bessent restored before the property was sold in 2025.
Here is what is publicly known about John Freeman, his marriage to Scott Bessent, their children, career and family life.
John Freeman Is Married To Gay Husband Scott Bessent
John Freeman is a former New York City prosecutor and the husband of Scott Bessent.
Freeman’s professional background is in law. Public sources identify him as a former prosecutor in New York City, while information about his later professional activities is limited. Unlike Bessent, Freeman has not maintained a similarly prominent public career in finance or government.
Freeman and Bessent married in 2011. Their marriage predates Bessent’s later role as U.S. Treasury secretary by more than a decade. CNN’s biographical record lists John Freeman as Bessent’s spouse from 2011 onward, with Cole and Caroline listed as their children.
The couple have two children, Cole and Caroline. Both children were born through surrogacy. Bessent publicly identified Freeman as his spouse and their children during his January 2025 Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing.
Freeman is also connected to Charleston, where he and Bessent maintained a family home and became involved in historic preservation. Their most publicly documented property was the John Ravenel House, also known as the “Pink Palace,” on Charleston’s East Battery.
Despite the attention surrounding Bessent’s government position, relatively little biographical information about Freeman is publicly available. His public identity is therefore primarily connected to his legal career, his marriage to Bessent, their children and their life between Charleston and Washington, D.C.
John Freeman Children & Family Life
John Freeman and Scott Bessent married in 2011 and have two children, Cole and Caroline, who were born through surrogacy.
Their marriage began before Bessent became a nationally prominent government official. Bessent spent much of his career in investment management, while Freeman’s documented professional background was in New York law enforcement and prosecution.
The family’s basic structure was publicly confirmed by Bessent himself during his 2025 Senate confirmation hearing.
| Family detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Husband | John Freeman |
| Married | 2011 |
| Children | Two |
| Children’s names | Cole and Caroline |
| Parenthood | Surrogacy |
| Family locations | Washington, D.C. and Charleston, South Carolina |
Bessent referred to Freeman as his spouse and Cole and Caroline as his children in his opening statement before the Senate Finance Committee. He also said that his mother-in-law, Celine Freeman, lived with the family in Charleston at the time, describing it as a three-generation household.
The names of the children also appear in reporting and photographic records surrounding Bessent’s 2025 confirmation hearing. Getty Images identified Cole Bessent Freeman, Caroline Bessent Freeman and John Freeman as members of Bessent’s family attending the hearing.
The couple’s decision to have children through surrogacy is one of the publicly documented facts about their family. Beyond those basic details, Freeman and Bessent have generally kept their children’s private lives outside the center of public reporting.
That has allowed Freeman to remain a comparatively private family figure even as Bessent’s professional responsibilities have brought greater attention to the household.
John Freeman’s Career and Charleston Life
John Freeman is a former New York City prosecutor whose publicly documented life later became closely connected to Charleston and the historic preservation work he undertook with Scott Bessent.
Information about Freeman’s legal career is limited, but multiple sources identify him as a former New York City prosecutor. His professional history is therefore distinct from Bessent’s career in investment management and federal government.
Charleston became an important location in Freeman and Bessent’s family life. The University of South Carolina’s 2026 commencement program states that Bessent and Freeman reside in Washington, D.C., and Charleston, South Carolina.
Their most notable Charleston property was the John Ravenel House at 5 East Battery. Bessent purchased the historic property in 2016 for $6.5 million, and Freeman and Bessent subsequently oversaw a multi-year restoration. The Preservation Society of Charleston recognized the renovation with a Carolopolis Award in 2021.
The house became known as the “Pink Palace.” The restoration included work on historic architectural details, fireplaces, mantels, the ground-floor loggia and other parts of the property. The project was described by the Charleston Preservation Society as a major preservation effort involving Freeman and Bessent.
The John Ravenel House was later sold in February 2025. The house itself sold for $18.25 million, while a separate $3 million transaction covered fixtures and selected contents, bringing the combined transaction value to $21.25 million.
The sale ended the family’s ownership of that particular Charleston property, but public sources continued to identify Charleston and Washington, D.C. as locations associated with Freeman and Bessent.
What Is Known About John Freeman Today?
John Freeman remains a relatively private figure whose publicly documented life centers on his former legal career, marriage to Scott Bessent, their two children and their connections to Charleston and Washington, D.C.
Bessent’s public position has increased attention on Freeman, but Freeman has not developed a comparable public profile of his own. The available sources provide clear information about his former work as a New York City prosecutor, his 2011 marriage to Bessent and their two children.
The University of South Carolina identified Freeman as Bessent’s husband and stated in 2026 that the couple reside in Washington, D.C., and Charleston.
John Freeman FAQs
Who is John Freeman?
John Freeman is a former New York City prosecutor who has been married to Scott Bessent since 2011. They have two children, Cole and Caroline.
What does John Freeman do?
John Freeman is a former New York City prosecutor. Reliable public information about his current professional activities is limited.
Who is Scott Bessent married to?
Scott Bessent is married to John Freeman, a former New York City prosecutor. The couple married in 2011.
How many children do John Freeman and Scott Bessent have?
John Freeman and Scott Bessent have two children, Cole and Caroline, who were born through surrogacy.
Where does John Freeman live?
Public sources identify John Freeman and Scott Bessent as residing in Washington, D.C., and Charleston, South Carolina.
What happened to the Pink Palace?
The John Ravenel House, known as the “Pink Palace,” was sold in February 2025 for $18.25 million, with a separate $3 million transaction for fixtures and selected contents.
