Surfing legend Sunny Garcia has been hospitalized and remains in the intensive care unit in a hospital in Portland, Oregon. Earlier this week, news reports said the iconic surfer, who has suffered from depression for years, tried to commit suicide. Reports said that sources close to Garcia confirmed that he had tried to commit suicide by hanging. Garcia has been open about his struggles with depression, posting about it on social media often. His family has not confirmed the reports that he attempted suicide.
Garcia, 49, is an icon in the surfing world, where he is known for his fierce, relentless surfing style. The Hawaii-born surfer holds six Triple Crown of Surfing titles and won the Association of Surfing Professionals world championship title in 2000.
Garcia has been married three times and has three teenage children from his first marriage. He married to Colleen McCullough in 2008. Here’s what you need to know about Colleen McCullough:
1. Garcia Said McCullough Helped Him Get His Life Back on Track After He Served Time in Prison
Garcia and McCullough got married in 2008, in a ceremony on Laguna Beach. Garcia was married twice before and had three children from his first marriage; they are now teenagers. In 2006, Garcia served six months in prison for federal tax fraud. He later said that prison gave him time to reflect on his goals and dreams.
“Before I went to prison, I made a pact with myself that I would try my hardest to get back on tour and retire on my own note,” he said. “To be back, traveling, hanging with my friends, doing what I love to do, is such a relief.”
Garcia said that his relationship with McCullough gave him a lot of the strength he needed to move on with his life and start afresh. Meeting her helped him get both his life and his career back on track, the surfing legend said.
2. Sunny & Colleen Met Through a Mutual Friend While He Was Under House Arrest
Sunny Garcia spent six months under house arrest in San Diego. Garcia was stuck at home, wearing an ankle bracelet and forbidden to surf. This came after he did time for federal tax evasion. He has said that the only good thing that happened to him while he was under house arrest was meeting Colleen McCullough. A mutual friend introduced the couple and they started a relationship, eventually decided to get married in 2008. “I’m very much happy with her,” Garcia said.
3. Sunny’s Second Wife, Raina, Divorced Him a Year Before He Married Colleen
Sunny Garcia went through a dark period in his life before he met Colleen McCullough. In January 2007, he was about to start a three month prison term after being convicted of tax evasion. That’s when his second wife, Raina, gave him a call. Sunny and Raina were already separated and talking divorce, but Sunny had been hoping they could mend fences and get back together. But on January 11, Raina served him with divorce papers. The next day, Sunny started his prison term.
Sunnny went into prison overweight and depressed. He got back into shape during his time there, thanks to the influence of a small, close-knit group of Hawaiian prisoners. But he said that he really started to get his life, and his career back on track when he met Colleen McCullough. A mutual friend introduced them while he was spending time under house arrest at his home in San Diego. They married in 2008.
4. Colleen & Sunny Don’t Have Kids Together
Colleen McCullough is Sunny Garcia’s third wife. The couple doesn’t have any children of their own. They married in 2008, after Garcia served time for tax evasion. Garcia and his first wife, Angela, have three children, Kaila, Logan and Stone, who are now teenagers.
5. Some News Reports Say Colleen Divorced Sunny & Married Another Man
FabWags.com reports that Colleen McCullough and Sunny Garcia got divorced for unknown reasons. The site says that on September 13, 2018, McCullough and Dylan Crouse got married. The site says that McCullough and Crouse had a son, Waylon, who was born in December that same year.
No other news sources refer to McCullough and Garcia being divorced.