Steve Harvey has come a long way in his journey, having faced adversity to become one of the most renowned stand-up comedians of our era. Additionally, he has established himself as a radio host, writer, actor, and entrepreneur, among other things, over the years. After many years of hardship and homelessness, Harvey was finally able to get back on his feet. He gained fame as the host of Showtime at the Apollo and his talk show, Steve Harvey, earned him two Daytime Emmy Awards.
Harvey is also well-known for hosting the Facebook web series Family Feud and the Miss Universe competition. In 2015, he garnered widespread attention after mistakenly declaring the incorrect winner of the Miss Universe pageant.
He has been able to achieve much success despite his hardships, with his yearly salary estimated to be roughly $45 million. A significant portion of this is due to his role in Family Feud, which earns him around $10 million, and his radio job which garners an extra $20 million. His total net worth is an astonishing $200 million which continues to increase.
With all this fame and fortune, celebrities cannot seem to keep controversies at bay. While Steve Harvey managed to have a flourishing professional career, his personal life was quite far from perfect. Harvey married three women in his lifetime and had to settle the divorce with huge sums, given his fame and net worth.
Steve Harvey’s Ex-Wives
Marcia Harvey
Marcia was Harvey’s first wife. In 1981, Harvey married Marcia whilst he was an insurance salesman in Ohio and simultaneously pursuing a career as a comedian. His dedication to his job and passion for standup meant that he was away from home for long periods of time, which would later contribute to their eventual divorce in 1994.
It is believed that the long-term couple ended their relationship after 14 years due to Harvey’s unfaithfulness. Reportedly, he abandoned his spouse and two kids when she was expecting their third.
Marcia kept her personal life largely out of the limelight. She eventually became a renowned writer and released two books- Marcia: Thoughts From My Mind and Marcia: Poems From The Heart.
Mary Shackelford
Harvey’s second partner is Mary Lee Harvey (formerly Shackelford). Little is known about Mary except that she was a professional make-up artist when she encountered Steve Harvey.
It is said that Steve and Mary had a relationship before Steve’s divorce from his initial spouse. In 1989, they encountered each other in Texas, when he was a comedy performer. They had a kid together and were wed for 9 years before finally separating in 2005. However, that was not the conclusion of it.
In 2011, Mary revealed her version of the divorce story which was two years after it had happened. She claimed to have found a clandestine letter at their Los Angeles residence addressed to Steve from another woman. Mary was concerned when she received a phone call from a woman who said she was looking for a job. She suspected it was Marjorie Bridges, who at the time was Steve’s mistress and is now his wife.
Mary stepped forward to expose the fact that Steve Harvey was absent from the hearing and took possession of their son. Despite being told by the judge to not speak of the divorce or the custody case, she kept voicing her opinion. In December 2013, she was locked up for a month due to being in violation of the court.
In 2017, Mary initiated legal action against Harvey for $60 million, accusing him of misconduct such as child endangerment, torture, and a violation of contract. She stated that Steve had taken away her son, leaving her in a state of depression and self-medication in order to cope.
The judge completely debunked her claims that Steve Harvey had left her with nothing, showing that she actually had three homes, $1.5 million, and was receiving $40,000 monthly as of March. It was also made clear that she had deliberately sent her son to Harvey without his awareness.
Steve Harvey never publicly discussed the situation, apart from a brief apology for the suffering endured by his family and children. He did, however, initiate legal action against Mary for circulating adverse reports about him. He also blamed the unfavorable publicity for his rejection from Oprah‘s OWN network.
Marjorie Elaine Harvey
Marjorie is the third and current spouse of Steve Harvey. They tied the knot in 2007, two years after his divorce from his initial partner. Together, they have three kids, whom Steve adopted from Marjorie’s former relationship.
In 2014, Steve finally made public the way he proposed to Marjorie. He explained that he had taken her on a trip to Mexico and hidden a diamond engagement ring inside her dessert.
Marjorie created the clothing line and lifestyle company known as The Lady Loves Couture. She and her partner Steve also set up The Steve And Marjorie Harvey Foundation. To mark their 15th wedding anniversary in 2022, Steve Harvey wrote a lovely letter to his spouse. In the letter, Steve wrote that Marjorie changed his life. He also added,
“If people get tired of hearing me say that, that’s OK. It doesn’t change the facts. You are the single biggest reason outside of God’s grace that I am where I am today. You’re the one.”
Steve Harvey is the father of seven children, including his daughter Lori Harvey who has gained a lot of notoriety for her relationships with rapper Future, actor Michael B. Jordan, and Abou Thiam, who is the brother of Akon. Additionally, he has a large number of grandchildren.
Despite the hardships and effort it took to get to where he is, Steve Harvey has managed to make a name for himself in the comedy world and is now evidently in a content position both professionally and personally.
