You probably don’t need us to tell you that Michael Strahan is one of the most famous television personalities out there. He was able to successfully pivot away from his impressive football career to become the host of shows like Good Morning America and Live! with Kelly and Michael. But while he may seem like he has it all on the small screen, it’s safe to say that we only see a portion of what his life is really like. Behind the camera, his personal life is filled with little-known details – especially when it comes to his past relationships.
Michael Had Two Kids With His First Wife
Before he made a name for himself as a professional footballer, Michael Strahan married his first wife, Wanda Hutchins. The couple tied the knot in 1992, one year before he signed for the New York Giants, and Wanda stayed by his side during his crazy first year in the limelight. In fact, the couple even welcomed two children – a son and a daughter – into the world. But their love just wasn’t meant to last.
Michael and Wanda divorced in 1996, and this took a toll on Michael’s mental health. Although he wanted to spend as much time with his kids as possible, his busy schedule meant that they lived with Wanda full-time.
He Met His Second Wife at the Spa
Although Michael Strahan’s second wife was one of his longest relationships, it’s fair to say that they met under very unusual circumstances. Michael first came across Jean Muggli in 1994, when he had just started playing for the New York Giants. On one particular day, Michael headed to a spa where Jean worked to pick up some shower gel – and he stopped in his tracks as soon as he set eyes on her.
Back in the day, Michael wasn’t the confident man that he is now, so he returned to the spa day after day before he finally worked up the courage to talk to her. By that point, he had spent hundreds of dollars.
Jean Had Absolutely No Interest in Sports
While they do say that opposites attract, it’s always a good idea when your partner understands and appreciates what you do for a living. However, that was never the case with Michael Strahan and Jean Muggli. From the get-go, Jean told Michael that she had absolutely no interest in sports or even understood what he did within the NFL. At the time, Michael was so blinded by love that he didn’t seem to care.
However, the more years they spent together, the more it became clear that their lack of common ground contributed to their divorce. They just didn’t have much to say to each other, after all.
Michael Served Jean With a Promising Prenup
In the celebrity world, it’s not uncommon for couples to sign prenups before they get married. In most cases, this equally divides assets and earnings to ensure that what one person earns stays completely theirs. But when he asked Jean Muggli to marry him, Michael Strahan offered her a promising prenuptial agreement that certainly worked in her favor. This prenup stated that she would get 20% of everything he earned during their marriage if they ever separated.
Of course, Michael and Jean didn’t go into their marriage thinking they would ever get divorced, so Jean didn’t think too much about this prenup. But it certainly worked in her favor when they did eventually divorce.
Michael Learnt a Lot About Ending Relationships
When he realized that his first marriage to Wanda Hutchins was breaking down, he tried to mend it for the sake of his children. He didn’t want to bring his kids into a broken family, and he had hoped to salvage what little love they had left. However, he discovered that drawing out the inevitable simply made things worse. He used this life lesson when he realized that his second marriage was on the rocks.
Although Michael had welcomed twins with his second wife, Jean Muggli, he knew it was wrong to stay with her for the sake of their children. So, he pulled the plug earlier on – but this didn’t work in his favor.
His Second Wife Accused Him of Domestic Violence
When Michael made motions to divorce his first wife, he assumed that the whole process would be fairly smooth. However, he soon realized that wouldn’t be the case when he was served with legal papers that told him Jean Muggli would be suing him for domestic violence. According to the papers, this claim could be “medically verified” and would sit alongside the other claims that suggested he’d been cheating on her with another woman.
Apparently, Michael made no secret about his affair and would talk to her on the phone in front of Jean. He would also buy presents for her and leave them out in the open in their shared home.