Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy divorced well out of the public eye after a 19-year marriage. It reportedly set him back by a fortune.
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The two met for the first time during Mike’s rookie season with the Chicago Bulls in 1985. After a courtship of 2 years, MJ proposed to Juanita on New Year’s Eve 1987. The couple exchanged vows in 1989.
Their marriage lasted 17 years in which most of their friends could see the love between them. It wasn’t all smooth sailing even at the start, as they first called off their engagement before sorting out their differences in 1988. They also separated with an intent to divorce in 2002.
There’s no doubt that the couple put their children first when they eventually split in 2006. Juanita Vanoy refuses to speak about MJ after their divorce was finalized in 2007 for understandable reasons.
A family friend says that Juanita would always turn to Michael when she wanted help with something, and that Mike would be present at those times.
How much money did Michael Jordan part with in the divorce?
It is unclear whether or not MJ had a pre-nuptial agreement with his first wife. Many sources seem to indicate that he didn’t sign one, but there are also unverified claims regarding his marriage.
Websites like NBC San Diego and Buzzfeed have claimed that Jordan lost $168 million (nearly half of his $350 million net worth) due to the divorce in 2007. These are not backed up by public record because the terms of the settlement are not a matter of public record.
Juanita got custody of the couple’s three kids – Jeffrey, Marcus and Jasmine. A 7-acre home in Chicago that Jordan bought in his years with the Bulls was also a part of the settlement.
