Lisa Joyner built a career on telling other people’s stories. She spent years as a local news reporter before becoming a familiar face on national television. Her own life carries a personal thread that shaped much of her later work. Audiences know her not just as a broadcaster but as someone who understands loss and reunion firsthand.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Joyner has spent decades in front of the camera. She moved from local news into entertainment reporting and then into hosting. Her marriage to actor Jon Cryer added another layer of public interest to her career. This article covers her background, her work, and her family life in full detail.

Quick Facts

Early Life

Lisa Marie Joyner was born on December 31, 1966, in Baltimore, Maryland. She grew up as an adoptee, a fact that later shaped much of her television work. In her thirties, she began searching for her biological family. That search eventually led her to a hosting role built entirely around reunions like her own.

Details about her childhood and education remain limited in public records. What is confirmed is her early move into broadcast journalism. She built her reputation in Los Angeles television before expanding into national programming. Her path from local reporter to household name took more than a decade of steady work.

Career as a News Reporter

Joyner spent six years reporting for KTTV, the Fox affiliate in Los Angeles. During that time, she won a Golden Mike Award for her broadcast journalism. She also received a Los Angeles Press Club Award for her reporting work. These early honors marked her as a serious journalist, not just an on-camera personality.

She left KTTV in 2002 to explore producing alongside hosting. She later joined KCBS-TV, the CBS affiliate in Los Angeles. There she worked alongside anchors Kent Shocknek and Suzanne Rico. Joyner covered entertainment, weather, and lifestyle segments during the station’s early morning news block.

While at KCBS, Joyner won a local Emmy Award in 2007. She shared the award with producer Kimberly McWatt in the outstanding news feature category. The two had also been nominated together the year before. This recognition came during a period when Joyner was building her name in entertainment journalism.

Rise to National Television

Joyner gained wider recognition through her InFANity segments on the TV Guide Network. She hosted these segments starting in 2005, focusing on celebrity fan culture. The role introduced her to a national audience beyond Los Angeles local news. It also set the stage for her move into reality television hosting.

In 2009, Joyner began hosting Find My Family on ABC. She worked alongside co-host Tim Green on the series. The show was based on an Australian format and focused on reuniting adoptees with birth relatives. Given her own background as an adoptee, the subject matter connected directly to her personal history.

Joyner then moved to TLC in March 2016 to co-host Long Lost Family. She shares hosting duties with Chris Jacobs on the series. The show follows people searching for missing biological relatives. It has run for multiple seasons and remains her most recognized hosting role to date.

Joyner has spoken about why the show matters to her personally. She chose to adopt a child herself despite being able to have biological children. She has said she wanted to further positive conversations around adoption. Her own reunion with her birth family gives the show an added layer of authenticity.

Acting and Producing Credits

Beyond hosting, Joyner built a modest acting career during the late 1990s and 2000s. She often played reporters and news broadcasters on screen. This casting pattern mirrored her real career as a journalist. Her film and television roles span comedies, action films, and drama series.

Joyner also worked as a producer on select projects. She served as producer on an episode of Great Performances in 2020. That same year, she was executive producer on The Forgotten West Memphis Three. This mini series marked a shift toward behind the scenes work later in her career.

Marriage to Jon Cryer

Jon Cryer announced his engagement to Lisa Joyner on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in January 2007. The couple married that June at the Chapel at Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. A private reception followed the ceremony. Actress Melanie Lynskey, who worked with Cryer on Two and a Half Men, attended the wedding.

Cryer had a son named Charlie from a previous marriage to Sarah Trigger. Joyner became part of that family dynamic early in her relationship with Cryer. The couple later expanded their family together through adoption. Their household eventually included two rescue dogs named Norman and Barney.

Daughter and Adoption Story

Joyner and Cryer adopted a daughter named Daisy in 2009. Public records confirm Daisy was born on August 11, 2009. The adoption reflected Joyner’s own experience as an adoptee earlier in her life. She has spoken openly about choosing adoption despite being able to conceive biologically.

Joyner has explained her reasoning in interviews tied to her hosting work. She wanted to be on the other side of the adoption experience herself. She also wanted to support a positive narrative around adoption more broadly. This personal choice connects directly to her long running work on Long Lost Family.

Awards and Philanthropic Work

Joyner’s professional recognition extends beyond her Emmy win at KCBS. She presented at the 57th Annual Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards, honoring local television excellence. In 2018, she hosted the 43rd Gracie Awards. That ceremony recognized actress Rita Moreno with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Joyner and Cryer have also supported causes tied to adoption and foster care.

• They received the Shining Star Award at Aviva’s Lifting Up L.A. event in June 2023.
• They were honored with the Champions for Children Award at the 2022 Kidsave National Miracles Gala.
• In 2021, the couple donated 30,000 dollars to Hope of the Valley, an organization building shelters for unhoused people.

Their charitable work often centers on housing insecurity and family reunification. Joyner has discussed her own early financial struggles in interviews. She has said she once felt close to homelessness while working modest jobs. That experience appears to inform her ongoing support for housing focused charities.

Personal Life and Faith

Jon Cryer has confirmed that both he and Joyner practice Methodism. The couple keeps much of their daily life private compared to their public charity appearances. Joyner remains active on social media under the handle @mslisajoyner. Her bio there describes her as a broadcaster, mother, and producer.

The couple regularly appears together at industry events tied to their charitable interests. Joyner has posted about their wedding anniversary on social media in past years. She has described the marriage as an unexpected but grateful partnership. Their relationship has remained stable and public facing since 2007.

Final Thoughts

Lisa Joyner has built a career defined by reporting, hosting, and personal storytelling. Her path from local Los Angeles news to national television took years of steady work. Her marriage to Jon Cryer and their daughter Daisy have kept her in the public eye. Yet her most defining contribution remains her work reuniting families through adoption.

Her own history as an adoptee gives her hosting work genuine depth. Audiences connect with her because her interest in these stories feels personal, not performed. Between her journalism background, her acting credits, and her advocacy work, Joyner has built a layered career. She continues to represent both professional dedication and personal purpose in her public work.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Lisa Joyner?

Lisa Joyner was born on December 31, 1966. That makes her 59 years old as of 2026.

Is Lisa Joyner married?

Yes. She has been married to actor Jon Cryer since June 16, 2007.

Does Lisa Joyner have children?

She has one daughter named Daisy, whom she and Jon Cryer adopted in 2009.

What show is Lisa Joyner best known for?

She is best known for co-hosting Long Lost Family on TLC alongside Chris Jacobs.

Was Lisa Joyner a news reporter before television hosting?

Yes. She reported for KTTV and KCBS-TV in Los Angeles before moving into national hosting roles.

Is Lisa Joyner adopted herself?

Yes. She is an adoptee who searched for and found her birth family in her thirties.

Has Lisa Joyner won any awards?

She won a local Emmy Award in 2007 for outstanding news feature reporting. She has also received charitable honors alongside Jon Cryer.