The Family Feud host, Steve Harvey, tied the knot with his first wife, Marcia Harvey, in 1981. It was before he became the Steve Harvey we all know now.
At that time, he worked as an insurance salesman in Ohio and struggled to get his break in comedy. They had three kids – twin daughters Brandi and Karli and a son named Broderick Jr.
Sadly, their love story didn’t make it to “happily ever after.” According to reports, the host put his career before his family and spent too much time on the road. They ultimately divorced in 1994.
Fast forward. Steve scored his big break on The Steve Harvey Show in 1996, while Marcia became a published author and businessman who chose to live under the radar. She also raised their three kids on her own.
Who is Marcia Harvey?
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Marcia Harvey was born to an African-American family in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 22, 1955. She worked at the luxury fashion and designer clothing store Saks Fifth Avenue.
She met Steve Harvey a few years later at the reception party of a mutual friend. They definitely hit it off and got married in 1980. Two years later, on August 20, 1982, they welcomed their twin daughters.
Ten years into their marriage, the two reportedly were having troubles. Steve was trying to break into the comedy world and build a career in the entertainment industry. He was away a lot, which caused friction in their marriage.
Later reports suggested that shortly after that, they started living apart. Things completely fell apart when Marcia was carrying their third child, Broderick Jr., who arrived on April 29, 1991.
In 1993, Marcia filed for divorce. However, court documents revealed that the listed date of separation was August 1990. So, it wasn’t a stretch to say that the now-famous host walked out on his then-pregnant wife and two girls.
A year later, after 14 years together, they officially went their separate ways. And Marcia got their kids with her.
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Radar Online reported that Steve was ordered to pay $5,100 in monthly support plus her legal fees in April 1994. Fourteen months later, Marcia submitted an affidavit claiming she hadn’t received any payment from her ex-husband. Part of the affidavit reads, “Defendant has given Plaintiff an amount far less than is necessary to provide the bare necessities for her family.”
Following that, the court ordered him to pay Marcia $36,000 in restitution and increased his monthly support payments to $6,630.
According to The List, Steve was also rumored to be living with Mary Lee, his second wife, before his and Marcia’s divorce was finalized. Needless to say, many were shocked by the revelation.
Where is she now?
Despite the challenging circumstances she had to go through, Marcia emerged victorious. She successfully raised her three children.
Karli is now married to entrepreneur Ben Raymond, and according to her Instagram bio, she is an insurance agency owner, international event host, and confidence coach. Her twin, Brandi, is as much a girl boss as Karli. She founded the wellness brand Beyond Her and the inspirational talk platform Vault Empowers, powered by her dad, Steve Harvey.
The youngest, Broderick Jr., is also an entrepreneur like his sisters. He runs Harv House, a playlist curation business that works with Apple Music and Spotify. He also has a photography company, B Harv Photography.
Marcia also established a name for herself as a published author. Among her works were “Marcia: Eyes to the Soul” and “Marcia: Poems From The Heart,” which she both released in 2011, and “Marcia: Thoughts From My Mind” in 2014. According to media reports, she is currently valued at $1 million.
Steve Harvey’s first wife, Marcia Harvey, kept her life as private as possible. She sometimes pops in her children’s social media pages, but she doesn’t appear to have any public accounts – or any accounts at all. While she and Steve didn’t part ways on great terms, they seem to have reconciled and have established a friendly relationship.
