US comedian Steve Harvey (L) and his wife Mary (R) arrive at the premiere of Spike Lee's new film "The Original Kings of Comedy", which is about Harvey's comedy concert tour, in Hollywood, CA, 10 August 2000.
Many people are familiar with the illustrious career of Steve Harvey. The comedian is a five-time Daytime Emmy Award winner, and 14-time NAACP Image Award winner. He’s hosted shows like The Steve Harvey Morning Show, Family Feud, Little Big Shots and its spinoff Little Big Shots: Forever Young, and Steve Harvey’s Funderdome.
Harvey’s personal life, however, is one people are less familiar with. Harvey has seven children in total, and has been married three times. Currently, he is married to Marjorie Bridges. The two tied the knot in 2007 and often pose together on the red carpet.
Before Marjorie, Steve was married to a woman named Mary Lee Harvey, or Mary Vaughn. The two have been involved in a number of legal disputes over the years, and officially divorced in 2005.
Here’s what we know about Mary Vaughn, Steve Harvey’s second wife.
1. She Sued Him for $60 Million in May
(Getty)
In May, Vaugn filed a lawsuit against Steve for $60 million, according to TMZ.
She claimed she was suicidal and was self-medicating to cope with the stress of the divorce. Mary Lee also said she was reeling from the stress of their custody battle.
In 2013, Vaughn was arrested when a judge found her in contempt of court. She served 30 days behind bars for the offense. Speaking to Fox News behind bars, Vaughn said, “I didn’t violate any court orders,” said Vaughn. “This is about ‘You’re not supposed to be talking to anybody about your divorce.’ That’s what they’re saying. I’m like, this is America.”
She continued, “Am I angry? Yes. I missed six years of my son’s life and I can’t get those years back.”
2. She Sued Him for Torture, Child Endangerment, and Emotional Distress, Among Other Things
GettySteve Harvey speaks with the media at Trump Tower on January 13, 2017.
In the lawsuit, Vaughn reportedly cited “child endangerment, torture, conspiracy against rights, kidnapping, murder, breach of contract and intentional infliction of emotional distress.”
In response to the allegations, Steve’s Attorney, Brandon Williams, told TMZ, “Mr. Harvey vehemently denies any allegations set forth in the lawsuit. The Complaint is meritless, frivolous and the allegations are completely false. We will vigorously defend/counterclaim against the Complaint.”
TMZ also noted that the lawsuit was not filed by a lawyer, but by a woman named Essie Berry who claimed she was “Mary’s ‘civil rights activist'”. Berry acted as Vaughn’s power of attorney.
3. She Was a Makeup Artist When She Met Steve
According to a 2000 article in People, Mary Lee and Steve met at a mall in Arlington, Texas. At the time, she was working as a makeup artist.
In his interview with People, Steve discusses the death of his father, a retired coal miner. “When I got the news, I fell on my hands and knees,” Harvey told People. “If it wasn’t for Mary, I wouldn’t have gotten through this. My father’s death alone would have crumbled me.”
When the piece was published, the the couple had just moved into a home together in LA. The Mediterranean-style home came with six bedrooms.
4. She Is His Second of Three Wives
Steve Harvey and Marjorie Bridges-Woods attend the Chanel show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2017 on October 4, 2016 in Paris, France.
Mary Lee is the second of Steve’s three wives. He was married to Marcia Harvey from 1980 to 1994, Mary Lee from 1996 to 2005, and tied the knot with Marjorie in 2007.
With Marcia, Steve has three children: Broderick, and twins Brandi and Karli. Karli married her husband, Benjamin Raymond, in 2015. Brandi works as the Executive Director of The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation.
Marjorie Bridges has three children from a previous marriages, and Steve raises them as his own. Bridges is very into fashion, and spoke to BET last summer about her love of clothing and fashion . “My love for fashion began at very early age. For as long as I can remember I’ve always loved putting together great looks that combine beautiful colors and lavish textures in a captivating way. Anyone who knew me in high school or in my early years often says they are not surprised by my present endeavors, namely my blog, The Lady Loves Couture. I definitely think blogs and Instagram have added to the popularity of street style fashion and photography.”
5. She Has One Son with Steve
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcpmq5VFPYC/?hl=en
With Vaughn, Harvey has one son, Wynton Harvey. Wynton is 20, and has over 20k followers on Instagram.
Wynton appears to be very into fashion. A link on his Instagram bio leads to an OXOSI article titled, “WYNTON HARVEY STYLES WYNTON HARVEY”. You can check out his looks here.