If you watch basketball, the name Michael Jordan is more likely than not synonymous for you with GOAT. MJ was drafted in 1984 by the Chicago Bulls. The same year, MJ met his first wife, Juanita Vanoy. Michael Jordan met Juanita through a common friend, and then they attended a few parties together, after which they started dating.
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At the same time, MJ’s professional career was taking off. His Airness put the league on notice with his displays of brilliance. He won his first regular-season MVP in 1988. MJ later tied the knot with Juanita in 1989.
The couple had already had their son, Jeffery, before marriage. They went on to have another son, Marcus, and a daughter, Jasmine. At the same time, MJ and the Bulls won six championships and reigned supreme over the league.
Juanita Vanoy was unbothered by the absence in ‘Last Dance’
In 2020, Michael Jordan released a docuseries titled ‘Last Dance’ which covered MJ’s life and the legendary 1997-98 Bulls season. The production had a lot of MJ’s old teammates and family members on the docuseries, talking about various incidents.
However, two notable personalities were missing. Michael Jordan’s current wife, Yvette Prieto, and his ex-wife, Juanita Vanoy. Both of them were not included because the director wanted to keep the narrative related to basketball and life, and not bring too much of MJ’s personal life into the same.
When his daughter Jasmine was asked about how her mother, Juanita, felt about the snub, she said,
“At the end of the day, if you’d ask my mom, she lived it. There’s no need to go down memory lane and bring up everything that has already happened when the proof is in the pudding. She was at the championship. She was at the retirement ceremony. We saw her in her glory…so no, I don’t think there’s a need to rehash and go through it all. She already lived it.”
Michael Jordan paid Juanita $168 Million in Divorce Settlement
After being married for 17 years, MJ and Juanita Vanoy divorced in 2006. It wasn’t a neat affair and cost Michael Jordan half of what he was worth. In 2007, when the settlement was finalized, MJ was worth around $350 Million.
According to sites like NBC San Diego, MJ had to pay half of what he was worth, which almost ended up coming to $168 Million. However, with the records sealed, the same isn’t public information; these are all estimates.
