Kerri Browitt Caviezel, aged 57, is an American educator, former collegiate basketball player, and the wife of Hollywood actor Jim Caviezel. Born on September 26, 1968, in Mount Vernon, Washington, she built a distinguished career as a student-athlete at Western Washington University before transitioning into decades of teaching English at the high school level. She was inducted into the WWU Athletics Hall of Fame in February 2015, recognised as one of only two women’s basketball players in the university’s history to finish a career ranked in the top ten in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots simultaneously. She and Jim Caviezel married on July 20, 1996, and together have adopted three children from China. Her estimated net worth ranges from $500,000 to $1 million from her own career in education, alongside the shared household wealth of her husband, whose net worth is estimated at $25 million.
TL;DR
- Kerri Browitt Caviezel is an American educator and former college basketball guard, best known as the wife of actor Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ, Sound of Freedom).
- Born September 26, 1968, in Mount Vernon, Washington; attended Cle Elum-Roslyn High School and Western Washington University.
- Inducted into the WWU Athletics Hall of Fame in February 2015; one of only two players in school history to rank top ten in five career statistical categories simultaneously.
- Met Jim Caviezel on a blind date in 1993; married July 20, 1996, at the Immaculate Conception Church in Roslyn, Washington.
- Adopted three children from China: Bo, Lyn Elizabeth, and David, all of whom had serious medical conditions at adoption.
Quick Bio
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kerri Browitt Caviezel |
| Birth Name | Kerri Browitt |
| Date of Birth | September 26, 1968 |
| Age | 57 years old (as of 2026) |
| Birthplace | Mount Vernon, Washington, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Education | Cle Elum-Roslyn High School; Western Washington University (History and Education major) |
| Profession | Educator (English teacher), Former Basketball Player and Coach, Pro-Life Advocate |
| Active Since | 1986 (basketball); early 1990s (teaching) |
| Spouse | Jim Caviezel (married July 20, 1996) |
| Children | Bo Caviezel, Lyn Elizabeth Caviezel, David Caviezel (all adopted from China) |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
| Weight | Not publicly disclosed |
| Social Media | No public accounts |
| Net Worth | $500,000 to $1 million (personal, estimated) |
Who is Kerri Browitt Caviezel?
Kerri Browitt Caviezel is an American educator, former collegiate basketball standout, and the wife of actor Jim Caviezel, widely recognised for co-captaining a record-breaking team at Western Washington University and later becoming a devoted English teacher, basketball coach, and mother of three adopted children.
Born in Mount Vernon, Washington, Kerri built an exceptional athletic and academic record at Western Washington University in the late 1980s before embarking on a career in education. She taught junior high and high school English in Washington state for over three decades, coached women’s basketball at the high school level, and has been a pro-life counsellor and advocate for approximately 17 years. Her husband Jim is known worldwide for his role as Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson’s 2004 film The Passion of the Christ and as John Reese in the CBS series Person of Interest.
Kerri has consistently chosen a private, faith-centred life away from Hollywood attention. She holds no public social media accounts, rarely attends red-carpet events, and has spoken publicly only on select occasions in support of her husband’s work and the family’s adoption journey. In 2015, her alma mater inducted her into the WWU Athletics Hall of Fame, cementing her legacy as one of the most accomplished student-athletes in the university’s women’s basketball history.
Early Life and Background
Childhood and Family
Kerri Browitt was born on September 26, 1968, in Mount Vernon, Washington, and raised in a Catholic household that emphasised discipline, community involvement, and strong values, alongside her parents David James Browitt and Jean Vandetta.
She grew up with two brothers, David and Jim Browitt, and a sister, Kristen Linehan. Her sister Kristen later married Scott Linehan, who would become coach of the St Louis Rams, giving the family an additional connection to professional American sports. From an early age Kerri was drawn to physical activity and performance: she played the flute in her school band and competed in basketball at Cle Elum-Roslyn High School in Washington. Her father David James Browitt passed away in 2013 after battling ALS, a loss that Kerri navigated privately while continuing to teach and care for her family.
Education
Kerri attended Cle Elum-Roslyn High School, where she was a first-team Class 1A all-state basketball player, led the Warriors to the state championship in 1985 as a junior and was named tournament MVP, and scored 1,200 career points.
She also played on the state championship team as a freshman in 1982. After high school, she enrolled at Western Washington University as a history and education major, continuing her basketball career with the WWU Vikings. She was named to the WWU President’s List nine times during her undergraduate career and earned the designation of NAIA National Scholar-Athlete, demonstrating exceptional balance between academic rigour and elite athletic performance. At 5 feet 9 inches tall, her size gave her an advantage in multiple positions across the court.
Career Journey
Basketball Career at Western Washington University
Kerri Browitt played as a guard for the Western Washington University Vikings women’s basketball team from approximately 1986 to 1990, compiling a four-year record of 95 wins and 28 losses across all games she participated in, starting all but four contests of her entire career without missing a single game.
Her most celebrated season came as a junior co-captain in 1988-89, when the Vikings finished 30-5: the first and only 30-win season in the history of WWU women’s basketball. The team won both the District 1 and Bi-District I playoff titles and reached the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Tournament, defeating Minnesota-Duluth before falling to eventual champion Southern Nazarene. In the Bi-District playoff against Concordia, Browitt was tasked at half-time with marking star forward Laura Jaeger, who had scored 19 first-half points. She held Jaeger to 5 points on 2-of-7 shooting in the second half, a defensive performance that became one of the defining moments of her college career.
As a senior in 1989-90, she was named a NAIA District 1 All-Star on a 26-4 team that ranked sixth in the national final poll. She averaged 11.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game that season and led WWU in assists for the third consecutive year at 4.4 per game. At graduation, she was one of only two women’s basketball players in WWU history to rank in the top ten career leaders in all five of the following categories simultaneously: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The only other player to achieve this was Jo Metzger-Levin, regarded as the greatest Viking women’s basketball player of the 20th century. In February 2015, WWU inducted Kerri into its Athletics Hall of Fame, the oldest hall of fame among all Pacific Northwest colleges and universities.
Coaching and Teaching Career
After graduating from Western Washington University, Kerri Browitt taught junior high English and served as an assistant girls’ basketball coach at Mount Baker Junior-Senior High School for three years, contributing significantly to the development of future WWU point guard Heidi Van Brocklin.
She then returned to her alma mater Cle Elum-Roslyn High School as head coach, and in her first season the Warriors finished second at the Class 1A state tournament. She subsequently built a career spanning more than three decades as a high school English teacher in the Washington state area, known among students and colleagues for patience, warmth, and a deep commitment to literacy. Reports as of 2026 indicate she continues to be active in education, though her specific current school position has not been publicly confirmed. In addition to her teaching career, she has worked as a pro-life counsellor and public speaker for approximately 17 years.
Life as Jim Caviezel’s Wife
Kerri met Jim Caviezel on a blind date in 1993 arranged by Jim’s sister Amy, and the two married on July 20, 1996, at the Immaculate Conception Church in Roslyn, Washington, in a ceremony attended by family and close friends.
Their shared Catholic faith was the immediate foundation of their connection. Jim has publicly credited Kerri throughout his career as the person who keeps him grounded and enables him to stay true to his principles. He has declined to film scenes that could be perceived as disrespectful to his wife or their faith: on the 2001 film Angel Eyes, he requested that all scenes with Jennifer Lopez be filmed with both actors fully clothed, and he sought script alterations on High Crimes to remove content he found incompatible with his beliefs. During the filming of The Passion of the Christ in 2003-04, Kerri visited the set and told Jim he looked exactly like Christ when she saw him on the cross, words he credited with helping sustain him through the physically and emotionally demanding shoot. She has also been involved in the couple’s adoption journey from its earliest stages, serving as the primary caregiver for their children while Jim was on set.
Adoption Journey
Kerri and Jim Caviezel adopted three children from China: a son named Bo, a daughter named Lyn Elizabeth, and a second son named David, each of whom had been diagnosed with cancer or a serious medical condition at the time of adoption.
Bo was adopted after the couple learned he had a brain tumour. Lyn Elizabeth also had a brain tumour. David was diagnosed with cancer. Their decision to specifically adopt children with significant health challenges is widely cited as a defining expression of the family’s faith and compassion. All three children are reported as healthy as of 2026. Lyn Elizabeth is the eldest of the three. Jim has spoken in multiple interviews about the profound effect fatherhood through adoption has had on his understanding of love and sacrifice, themes that also informed his approach to roles in faith-based films including The Passion of the Christ and Sound of Freedom (2023).
Social Media Presence
| Platform | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| No public account | Deliberately private; has stated preference for offline life | |
| X (Twitter) | No public account | Not confirmed |
| No public account | Not confirmed |
Net Worth and Income Streams
Kerri Browitt Caviezel’s personal estimated net worth ranges from $500,000 to $1 million, built through over three decades of work as an educator in Washington state, with household wealth additionally shaped by her husband Jim Caviezel’s acting career, estimated at $25 million.
Her personal income from teaching reflects a long career at the public school level in Washington, where teacher salaries range broadly depending on seniority and district. Her pro-life counselling and speaking work is not commercially monetised in any publicly confirmed way. No endorsement deals, business ventures, or other commercial income streams are documented for Kerri personally.
| Income Stream | Estimated Contribution | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching (English, Washington state) | Primary personal income | 30+ year career; public school salary range in Washington: $53,000-$70,000+ |
| Basketball coaching | Historical | Assistant coach at Mount Baker Junior-Senior High; head coach at Cle Elum-Roslyn High School |
| Jim Caviezel household wealth | Shared household; Jim’s net worth estimated at $25 million | Includes earnings from The Passion of the Christ, Person of Interest, Sound of Freedom |
Physical Appearance
Height and Body Stats
Kerri Browitt Caviezel stands 5 feet 9 inches tall, a height that was a significant asset throughout her collegiate basketball career and that multiple named sources confirm.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
| Weight | Not publicly disclosed |
| Eye Colour | Not publicly disclosed |
| Hair Colour | Brown (per multiple sources) |
Personal Life
Relationships
Kerri Browitt Caviezel has been married to Jim Caviezel since July 20, 1996, a marriage of 30 years as of 2026, built on shared Catholic faith and mutual commitment to a private, family-centred life.
The couple met on a blind date arranged by Jim’s sister Amy in 1993 and dated for three years before marrying. Jim has described their partnership as the foundation of everything he does professionally. No previous or other relationships have been publicly documented for Kerri.
Family
Kerri was born to David James Browitt and Jean Vandetta, grew up alongside siblings David, Jim, and Kristen Linehan, and lost her father in 2013 after he battled ALS.
Her sister Kristen’s husband Scott Linehan is a prominent NFL coach, adding another dimension of sporting pedigree to the Browitt family. Kerri and Jim have three adopted children from China: Bo, Lyn Elizabeth (the eldest), and David. All three children faced serious medical diagnoses at the time of adoption and are reported to be healthy as of 2026. Tazman James, mentioned in relation to a different biography on this site, is unrelated to the Caviezel family.
Achievements and Milestones
- Led Cle Elum-Roslyn High School Warriors to the Class 1A state basketball championship in 1985 as a junior, named tournament MVP; also won a state title as a freshman in 1982. Scored 1,200 career points at high school level.
- Co-captained the 1988-89 WWU Vikings to a 30-5 record: the first and only 30-win season in the university’s women’s basketball history.
- One of only two players in WWU women’s basketball history to finish a career ranked in the top ten in all five major categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots.
- Named NAIA District 1 All-Star in her senior season (1989-90) on a 26-4 team ranked sixth nationally.
- Named NAIA National Scholar-Athlete and appeared on the WWU President’s List nine times.
- Inducted into the Western Washington University Athletics Hall of Fame in February 2015.
- Served as assistant girls’ basketball coach at Mount Baker Junior-Senior High School, contributing to the development of future WWU point guard Heidi Van Brocklin.
- Returned to Cle Elum-Roslyn High School as head coach; directed the Warriors to the state title game in her first season.
- Over 30 years as a high school English teacher in Washington state.
- Pro-life counsellor and speaker for approximately 17 years.
- Adopted three children from China with serious medical needs alongside husband Jim Caviezel.
Interesting Facts About Kerri Browitt Caviezel
- She and her husband Jim Caviezel share the same birthday: both were born on September 26, 1968, in Mount Vernon, Washington.
- She played the flute in her high school band alongside her basketball career.
- During the filming of The Passion of the Christ, she visited Jim on set and told him he looked exactly like Christ when she saw him on the cross, words he later said helped sustain him through the demanding shoot.
- Jim Caviezel has publicly stated he will not film scenes that could be disrespectful to Kerri, including requesting fully clothed filming with Jennifer Lopez on Angel Eyes (2001).
- She has no public social media presence of any kind, by deliberate choice.
- Her sister Kristen is married to NFL coach Scott Linehan, making the Browitt family one with deep roots in both basketball and American football.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kerri Browitt Caviezel?
Kerri Browitt Caviezel is an American educator and former collegiate basketball player, best known as the wife of actor Jim Caviezel. She is a 2015 inductee into the Western Washington University Athletics Hall of Fame.
How old is Kerri Browitt Caviezel?
Kerri Browitt Caviezel was born on September 26, 1968, making her 57 years old as of 2026. She and her husband Jim Caviezel share the same birthday.
How many children do Jim and Kerri Caviezel have?
Jim and Kerri Caviezel have three children, all adopted from China: Bo, Lyn Elizabeth, and David. Each had a serious medical condition at the time of adoption.
What did Kerri Browitt Caviezel do before marrying Jim Caviezel?
Before her marriage, Kerri was a standout college basketball player at Western Washington University. After graduating she taught junior high English, coached girls basketball, and later became a high school English teacher in Washington state.
Is Kerri Browitt Caviezel on social media?
No. Kerri Browitt Caviezel has no public social media accounts on Instagram, X, or any other platform. She has deliberately chosen to keep her life private.
