Jill Martin has been a fixture on NBC’s Today show for nearly two decades, known for her “Steals and Deals” segments, Ambush Makeovers, and her work as the network’s lifestyle and fashion contributor. But in recent years, the headlines around Martin have shifted from shopping tips to something far more personal: a breast cancer diagnosis, a public treatment journey, and the quiet end of her marriage.
Martin and Erik Brooks married in September 2022. By August 2024, they had filed for divorce. The timeline between those two dates included a BRCA2 gene mutation discovery, a Stage 2 breast cancer diagnosis, chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, and a reconstruction process that is still ongoing.
Here is the full story of Jill Martin’s marriage, what happened between her and Erik Brooks, and where her life stands now.
Jill Martin and Erik Brooks: The Full Relationship Timeline
Martin and Brooks met on a dating app. Their relationship moved quickly in the beginning, and by 2019, they were engaged.
But the engagement didn’t last. In the spring of 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped daily life, the couple’s relationship fractured. Brooks lived in Boston with his children from a previous relationship. Martin lived in New York. The distance, combined with the stress of lockdown, created a pattern of constant conflict.
Martin was candid about the breakup in later interviews. She told the Today show’s digital series “The New Rules for Finding Love” that they were “fighting all the time” during the early months of the pandemic. She said she wasn’t willing to adjust her reactions, and he eventually told her it wasn’t going to work.
“I said, ‘If you walk out this door, we will never speak again,'” Martin recalled. He left. They didn’t speak for 18 months.
During that period, Martin said she went through a process of self-evaluation. After a year of working on herself, she called Brooks, and they reconnected. By the fall of 2021, they were re-engaged.
“It took me 45 years to find my fairy tale,” Martin told the Today show at the time of their reconciliation. “When I realized I was confident on my own, that’s when I knew Erik and I were ready to get back together.”
The couple married on September 10, 2022, at the New York Public Library. Roughly 200 friends and family attended the ceremony.
What Happened to the Marriage: The Divorce Filing
Less than two years later, the marriage was over. In early August 2024, Martin and Brooks quietly filed for divorce.
The news was first confirmed through court records by Closer Weekly, and a spokesperson for Martin told Page Six that the pair “are nearly done with the process.” The statement added: “Because there are families involved, and the past year has been so earth-shattering for Jill, she plans for this to be her only acknowledgment.”
Fans had started to notice signs before the confirmation. By late summer 2024, Martin had stopped posting photos of Brooks on her Instagram. The last image of the two together appeared in June 2024, during a vacation in Lake Como. She was also spotted on air without her wedding ring in August.
Neither Martin nor Brooks has publicly discussed the specific reasons for the divorce. The spokesperson’s reference to an “earth-shattering” year points to the cancer battle that dominated the period between their wedding and the divorce filing.
Jill Martin’s Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
Three months before Martin and Brooks would have celebrated their first wedding anniversary, Martin received devastating news: she had Stage 2 breast cancer.
The diagnosis came on June 26, 2023. But the chain of events that led to it started just three weeks earlier, when Martin took a genetic test for the BRCA gene. She had a family history of breast cancer. Her grandmother died from it. Her mother had a double mastectomy in her late 40s after being diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
The genetic test came back positive for a BRCA2 mutation, meaning Martin had a 60 to 90 percent chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime. Her doctors recommended preventive surgery. But before she could schedule the procedure, additional scans found that the cancer was already there. A mammogram just five months earlier, in January 2023, had come back clean. An MRI caught what the mammogram missed.
Martin shared the diagnosis publicly on the Today show on July 17, 2023, alongside co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb. “That BRCA test saved my life,” she told viewers.
What followed was a prolonged treatment process: eight rounds of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, radiation, and breast reconstruction surgery. Martin chose to continue working through much of her treatment, sharing updates on the Today show as she progressed.
By late 2024, Martin was cancer-free. But complications from reconstruction continued. In January 2025, she announced she would undergo emergency surgery to address issues from the reconstruction process. “Just when you think the fight is over, life reminds you that healing isn’t always linear,” she said at the time. She emphasized that the cancer itself had not returned.
Mariska Hargitay and Jill Martin#PinkPower 💗💕
Credit Video IG: darcymiller pic.twitter.com/K4C24mrbCD
— Sabri ✨ (@joyful_sabri) October 2, 2024
Jill Martin’s Career on the Today Show and Beyond
Martin’s professional career has been remarkably varied. She was born on April 14, 1976, on Long Island, New York. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in communications.
Her first job in media was as an assistant on The Maury Povich Show, after interning at LIVE! with Regis and Kathie Lee and Geraldo. She transitioned into on-air work in 1999, starting at WAMI-TV in Miami.
From there, her career moved through several roles: a reporter at News 12 Long Island, a fashion correspondent for Good Morning America, and a sports anchor and reporter at WFOR (CBS-4) in Miami for five years. She eventually became a sideline reporter for the New York Knicks, a position she has held since 2007, earning multiple Emmy Awards for her work on pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage.
Martin joined the Today show as a lifestyle and fashion contributor in 2007. Her “Steals and Deals” segments became some of the most popular recurring features on the show, and in 2021, she launched “Shop TODAY with Jill Martin,” a commerce and lifestyle initiative.
She has also authored three books: “I Have Nothing to Wear!” (a New York Times bestseller), “Fashion for Dummies,” and “The Weekend Makeover.” Her fashion brand, By Jill Martin, launched on QVC and has expanded into cancer advocacy through the Warrior Effect collection, which donates proceeds to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Where Jill Martin’s Life Stands in 2026
As of 2026, Martin is cancer-free and no longer married. She continues to work as a Today show contributor and runs her fashion and lifestyle brand. Her focus has shifted significantly toward cancer advocacy, specifically around genetic testing for BRCA mutations.
In October 2025, Martin hosted Pink Power Day on the Today Plaza alongside singer and breast cancer survivor Sheryl Crow. The event encouraged attendees to sign up for genetic testing for cancer risk. Martin has repeatedly credited that single genetic test with saving her life and has made it the centerpiece of her public advocacy.
“Had I taken a genetic test earlier, I wouldn’t have had to go through endless surgeries and chemotherapy and radiation,” she told the Today show. “Genetic testing is power, not something to be scared of.”
Her spokesperson’s statement at the time of the divorce pointed to where her priorities now stand: “She is concentrating on her health and being an amazing daughter, friend and new aunt.”
Martin has described her current approach to life using a simple framework: one-third of her time goes to work, one-third to giving back, and one-third to personal recovery and self-care.
Quick-Reference Profile
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Jill Martin (born Jill Sondra Dorfman) |
| Born | April 14, 1976, Long Island, New York |
| Education | University of Michigan (BA in Communications) |
| Primary Role | TODAY Show lifestyle contributor, fashion expert |
| Emmy Awards | Multiple (for Knicks reporting and Today contributions) |
| Ex-Husband | Erik Brooks (married Sept. 2022, divorced Aug. 2024) |
| Cancer Diagnosis | Stage 2 breast cancer (June 2023), BRCA2 positive |
| Current Cancer Status | Cancer-free (as of late 2024) |
| Advocacy Focus | BRCA genetic testing, Warrior Effect brand (donates to BCRF) |
| Books | “I Have Nothing to Wear!” (NYT bestseller), “Fashion for Dummies,” “The Weekend Makeover” |
FAQs
Is Jill Martin currently married?
No. Jill Martin and Erik Brooks divorced in August 2024 after less than two years of marriage. As of 2026, Martin has not publicly entered a new relationship.
Why did Jill Martin and Erik Brooks get divorced?
Neither Martin nor Brooks has publicly stated the specific reasons for the divorce. The split occurred roughly a year after Martin’s Stage 2 breast cancer diagnosis and during an ongoing treatment and recovery process. A spokesperson described the prior year as “earth-shattering” for Martin.
What type of cancer did Jill Martin have?
Martin was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in June 2023, shortly after testing positive for a BRCA2 gene mutation. She underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, radiation, and breast reconstruction. She is currently cancer-free.
Had Jill Martin and Erik Brooks been together before their wedding?
Yes. The couple first got engaged in 2019 after meeting on a dating app. They broke up during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 due to the strain of a long-distance relationship between New York and Boston. After 18 months apart, they reconciled and re-engaged in the fall of 2021 before marrying in September 2022.
What does Jill Martin do on the Today show?
Martin serves as the Today show’s lifestyle and fashion contributor. She is best known for her “Steals and Deals” segment and the “Shop TODAY with Jill Martin” initiative. She has co-hosted the third and fourth hours of Today and covered events including the Emmys, Golden Globes, Oscars, and the 2016 Rio Olympics.
What is the Warrior Effect?
The Warrior Effect is a brand launched by Jill Martin that donates a portion of its proceeds to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). The collection includes fashion and lifestyle items, with select products bearing pink logos from officially licensed NBA and WNBA merchandise.
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