No one loves hearing that celebrities are getting divorced, but people sure love gossiping about it, especially if there’s an air of mystery surrounding it.
Such is the case of Mary Lee Harvey.
Despite steering away from public life, we managed to find enough about Mary to clear a bit of the mystery surrounding her.
Today, we explore Mary Lee Harvy’s early life, career, marriage, and chaotic divorce, so be sure to stick around!
Mary Lee Harvey’s Biography
We don’t know much about Mary Lee Harvey’s early life. However, over the years, she’s given us bits and pieces of information to form a vague picture. Born on October 20, 1960, in Texas, Mary grew up in a large family of 10 kids and a toxic father.
She revealed she wasn’t close with any of her siblings and that her house was chaotic. Now most people know her as Steve Harvey’s ex-wife.
Mary Lee Harvey’s Career
In the early stages of her career, Mary worked as a makeup artist in a cosmetic store from the late eighties to the early 90s. However, we have little-to-no information about her professional life after marrying Steve Harvey.
Mary Lee Harvey’s Marriage
Now that you know a bit about Mary, let’s explore the controversy around her marriage.
Meeting Steve Harvey
Mary met Steve in Arlington, Texas, when he was still a stand-up comedian. After years of dating, they tied the knot on June 21, 1996.
It’s worth noting that Steve wasn’t the man people know today. He was still making his way into the entertainment industry.
Mary constantly mentions she was one of the biggest supporters of Steve in his early days, cheering him on as he climbed the success ladder. One year into their marriage, they welcomed their first newborn, Wynton.
With mutual love, a good life, and a new baby, things were looking up for the happy couple. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a happy ending.
The Fallout
After almost a decade-long marriage, people were shocked to hear the couple announced their divorce in 2005. Although no one knew the reason, Mary Lee soon revealed that Steve had cheated on her.
She claimed to have received a letter addressed to Steve from his mistress revealing the nature of their relationship. In a later incident, Mary said she received a call in her home from a woman claiming to apply to work with Steve.
Although there wasn’t proof that the lady was Steve’s mistress, it raised enough doubts for Mary to suspect him. Eventually, we found out that woman was Marjorie Elaine, who would later become Steve’s third wife. So, she filed a $60-million-dollar lawsuit against Steve.
Unfortunately, though, that was the beginning of a downward spiral. Mary started uploading YouTube videos to get people to sympathize with her. She also claimed Steve was physically and mentally abusing her.
Naturally, Steve didn’t stay silent for long!
The Court Order
After making these public accusations, Steve took Mary to court. The court order prohibited her from revealing any information about the divorce case to the public.
While Mary stayed quiet for a while, she eventually broke that order in 2013, which led to her arrest.
Mary later reported to the media, saying she didn’t break any rules, as the judge didn’t have the right to force her into staying silent in the first place.
Mary Lee Harvey’s Divorce
Unfortunately, Mary Lee didn’t present her case in court well. While we don’t have details on how the case went, we have a few glimpses.
She stated she deserved a large portion of Steve’s properties and future earnings. However, the court ruled in favor of Steve. They offered Mary $1000 for child support and didn’t allow her to keep any of Steve’s assets.
Later on, the court released a few documents that showed Mary’s settlement may have involved more than $1000. The former makeup artist received $1.5 million, $40,000 a month until March 2009, and a few of Steve’s properties.
Her assistant confessed that, at one point, Mary was overwhelmed that she asked her to buy a plane ticket, put Wynton in it, and send him to his father.
To add insult to injury, she did that without letting Steve know. Because of her actions, Mary lost custody of Wynton and took to social media to express her frustration.
Where Is Mary Lee Harvey Now?
Before separation, Mary Lee was a frequent guest on red carpets and movie premieres. However, after her messy divorce, she disappeared from public life.
While we know she now lives in California, we have no information on what she’s doing with her life.
Wrapping Up
Despite having a rough childhood, Mary Lee Harve was able to switch it around, marrying Steven Harvey and supporting him until he became a successful TV host. Unfortunately, her luck didn’t last forever.
With increasing suspicions of infidelity, Mary’s marriage was over. While she gained a large sum of money and a few properties from the divorce, her life crumbled after losing custody of her son.
