Born on February 17, 1963, American Michael Jordan has gotten the better of many obstacles and accomplished a lot, including bringing more fame to the NBA. He has been named the greatest basketball player and broke records to become a 14-time NBA all-star, winner of six championships with the Chicago Bulls, and was named the finals MVP six times. He also became an all-time best at different levels of sports and has been named the athlete of the 20th century.
Although retired, he has remained the richest former basketball player and is respected for his contributions to the game in America, Chicago Bulls, and the World. While his career life has shown so much, his love life has also been a very busy one as Jordan has been married to two women in the past and has many girlfriends.
Michael Jordan Relationships – Girlfriends, Wives, and Kids
Michael Jordan’s relationships have had their own fair share of photo opportunities over the years. However, there are details you probably have never come across.
Michael Jordan’s Girlfriends
1. The One Who Got Drowned
While in college, Jordan had a relationship that was cut short by a tragic accident when his girlfriend got drowned during the summer vacation. The incident and a past one made Jordan distrust water and never swims.
This was not his first bad experience with water as when he was 7 years old, his drowning friend almost took him along when he was dying. The former basketball star revealed he had to fight so hard to free himself from the grip.
2. Karla Knafel – The One Who Got Away with His $250,000
While a number of Jordan’s relationships enjoyed publicity, others were allegedly kept under wraps. Between 1989 to 1991, he purportedly had a romantic affair with Karla Knafel and wanted it to remain a secret in exchange for $5 million.
When he paid only $250,000 instead of the agreed amount, Knafel headed to court. The case was ruled when the paternity test on her child showed he was not the father after she claimed otherwise.
3. Pamela Smith
Whether Jordan had a relationship with Smith or not, she did well in drawing attention to herself decades later when she sued him for fathering her teenage son at that time.
Although the boy bears Jordan as surname and has claimed on social media to be fathered by the basketball legend, he had a different man as his father in his birth certificate. Smith was asked by the court to pay almost $10,000 to Jordan and called her to claim a publicity stunt, pointing out she had hired a publicist before getting a lawyer.
3. Other Alleged Girlfriends
A number of other women have come out in the past to claim they had a romantic relationship with Jordan. The media has also laid claim on his dating records. However, most of these allegations have not been confirmed by the former NBA star while others have been accused of seeking attention.
Some of the women include Eddie Murphy’s ex-wife Nicole Murphy, Loredana Ferriolo who claimed she also had a secret affair with Tiger Woods; Ashley Dupre, and former Miss America Vanessa Williams among others.
Michael Jordan’s Wives
Even though Jordan had a number of affairs, he settled with only a few. Here’s a list and what you should know.
1. Juanita Vanoy – Who is Michael Jordan’s First Wife? (m. 1989–2006)
- Full Name: Juanita Vanoy Jordan
- Date Of Birth: 13 June 1959
- Age: 74 Years old
- Net Worth: $200 million
- Children: Jeffery, Marcus, Jasmine
In September 1989, Jordan and Juanita tied the knot after they were introduced by a shared friend. The couple had two sons, Jeffery and Marcus; and a daughter Jasmine.
In 2002, the couple headed for a divorce but reconciled afterward. In 2006 after 17 years of marriage, they headed for another divorce proceedings. The divorce became the most expensive known in sports at that time as Juanita left with a $168 million settlement.
2. Yvette Prieto
- Full Name: Yvette Prieto Jordan
- Career: Former Model
- Date Of Birth: 26 March 1979
- Age: 46 Years old
- Net Worth: $5 million
- Children: Ysabel Jordan, Victoria Jordan
Yvette Prieto is a former Cuban model who has achieved a lot in her profession including modeling for designer Alexander Wang and appearing in documentary Cuba: An Island Apart. The couple became married in 2013, and in February 2014, they had identical twin daughters, Victoria and Ysabel.
His Children and Grandchildren
Jeffery Jordan
Jordan and Vanoy were still dating when they found out they were expecting their first child. Jeffery was born on November 18, 1988, before his parents tied the knot. He played for the University of Central Florida Knights and the University of Illinois Fighting Illini.
Together with Marcus and Jasmine, they started a venture, Heir Jordan which focuses on investment and philanthropy. He also co-founded Jordan Avakian Group (JAG) to mentor and invest with beginners in the sports and entertainment lines. In 2019, he got married to Radina Aneva.
Marcus Jordan
He was born on December 24, 1990, and stands a great height of 6 foot and 4 inches. Like his older brother, he played basketball while in college. In 2016, he started a shoe store called Trophy Room and in 2019, the store physically closed but runs online.
Jasmine Jordan
After studying sports management at the Syracuse University, Jasmine has clinched a niche as an executive at Nike Jordan Brand. She is also involved in the Jordan Heiress Collection and her father’s Charlotte Hornets. In 2019, she welcomed her first son with her American professional basketball player fiancee Rakeem Christmas.
Victoria and Ysabel
In 2014, Michael became a father to identical twin girls through his wife Yvette.
As at the time of this article, Jordan has only a grandchild (grandson) through his daughter Jasmine.
Although the above are his known children, a number have come out to lay claim of been fathered by him even without proves.
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