Michael Jordan is usually seen as this greater-than-life personality. He is often crowned as the god of basketball. However, it is good to remember that even the greatest are human with their own flaws. MJ revealed his limitation in the way he and his family treated his ex-wife Juanita Vanoy. Deloris and James Jordan accused their daughter-in-law of taking advantage of her pregnancy to control Michael. Their son and Juanita’s eventual divorce settlement was worth $168 million.
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For Michael Jordan, life is a lot different than it is for the average person. Jordan is as mythical as he is famous. His conquests and his adventures are all now part of the NBA urban folklore.
But there is a certain dark side to his life, a life Jordan hid all too well. The way he treated his former wife Juanita Vanoy lands in that dark side of the legendary Bulls superstar. And his parents too played a major role in antagonizing the mother of MJ’s children.
James and Deloris believed Juanita was controlling Michael Jordan
When Michael Jordan was at the peak of his career, Juanita stood by his side. In a way, so did James and Deloris. In fact, MJ’s parents had stood by their son’s side since the day he was born.
Perhaps that is why they were stuck by jealousy and envy when Juanita began to grow closer to the Bulls star. Especially when the young woman announced she was pregnant.
That is when Deloris and James reached their breaking point. They believed their daughter-in-law was using her pregnancy as a means to control their son. Things were terribly tough in the Jordan household back then.
Roland Lazenby detailed this part of their life in his book Michael Jordan: The Life. He wrote:
“As spring became summer, Juanita Vanoy had informed Jordan that she was pregnant, which further inflamed the ire of his parents, who suggested that she had allowed the conception to happen to secure her hold on their son. It was not a happy time, Sonny Vaccaro recalled.”
Lazenby’s account clearly shows how Deloris and James harbored ill will for Juanita. This ill will is what perhaps paved the way for their eventual divorce.
MJ and Juanita divorced after 17 years together
In late December 2006, Juanita and Jordan separated after 17 years of marriage. No one really expected the split other than perhaps the Jordan family.
The divorce was amicable and peaceful with no drama. Exactly how Jordan prefers it. However, the divorce also led to Jordan parting ways with a whopping $168 million. Juanita received the money as a settlement.
Also read: 6’1″ Trae Young dapped up Julius Erving courtside before dropping 26 on NBA legend’s former team
