Divorce: it’s a word that carries a certain heaviness. For Mary Lee Harvey, this heaviness extended to a public breakup, high-stakes legal battles with her ex-husband, and financial instability. So, let’s unfold the life and trials of Mary Lee Harvey, the woman who lost everything in her divorce from comedy heavyweight Steve Harvey.
In exploring who Mary Lee Harvey is, we can’t ignore her Texas roots. Born in Texas in 1960, she developed a makeup artistry career, a profession in which she exhibited considerable prowess in the 80s and 90s. Her childhood was not roses and sunshine. She’s alluded to strained relationships, particularly with her father, and her desperate search for the affection she missed growing up.
Significantly, her life undertook an unprecedented spiral into the public sphere owing to her marriage with adept comedian Steve Harvey. Engaged in 1996, two years after Steve’s split from his first wife, they went from joyfully tying the nuptial knots to a painful divorce in 2005. During their nine-year-long marriage, they had a son, Wynston, born just a year into their marriage in 1997.
And here, the real drama unfolds.
The divorce from Steve Harvey was nothing short of a media circus. The souring of their sweet love bore bitter fruits that spilled into very public court cases and media discussions even after their divorce. However, it wasn’t all gloom from the start. They appeared to be a delightful couple with appearances at entertainment events and social functions, proving that public appearances can mask deep personal issues.
Suddenly, in 2005, their fairy-tale marriage came to a grinding halt. Through court statements, it became clear that they had irreconcilable differences in common legal jargon for unresolvable issues. But Mary was not satisfied with keeping these issues private.
Indeed, 2011 marked a pivotal moment in Mary Lee Harvey’s relationship with Steve. Outrightly accusing Steve of infidelity, leaving her penniless, and manipulating their son against her, Mary sent the media into a frenzy. She took to YouTube to voice these accusations, going as far as sharing alleged email exchanges between Steve and his current wife, Marjorie.
But is it entirely the truth? Court docuzments suggest otherwise.
Mary’s accusations crumble here as the facts didn’t align. Rather than leaving her destitute, Steve Harvey paid $40,000 to Mary monthly until 2009 and even paid her a whopping $1.5 million in March 2009. Furthermore, Mary was given three properties from the divorce settlement. Mary was far removed from the impoverished state she claimed Steve left her in.
Steve’s side also disputed Mary’s claim about their son, Wynston. Contrary to her accusations, Steve didn’t rob her of her son. She was the one who sent Wynston to Steve without his prior knowledge. Eventually, Steve got full custody of their child.
Steve felt misrepresented by these accusations. He believed Mary violated a court order that prohibited them from discussing their divorce with the public. This led to his filing a lawsuit against Mary for contempt of court and defamation.
The judge ruled in Steve’s favor, and Mary spent 30 days in jail.
Yet, doesn’t the story end here? Nevertheless, Mary wasn’t about to go quietly. In 2018, she made headlines again by suing Steve for $60 million. Her claims this time were more severe, accusing Steve of child endangerment, torture, and ‘soul murder’ – a term she used to describe how she felt emotionally destroyed because of the trauma from their divorce.
Her disturbing revelations about feeling depressed and suicidal as their divorce unfolded publicly shocked many. However, Steve’s attorney refuted Mary’s accusations and called them meritless, frivolous, and utterly false. Eventually, a judge dismissed the case again.
Through it all, Mary Lee Harvey fought tooth and nail in her legal battles against Steve Harvey. Despite the glare from the media spotlight, the negative press, and the repeated legal hurdles, Mary strived to stand her ground. However, she found little success in her pursuits against Steve, the most recent loss coming in 2018.
In contrast, Steve Harvey found love again after his messy Mary divorce. He married Marjorie in 2007, and the two seem happy together.
In conclusion, Mary Lee Harvey’s life story is heartbreaking and captivating. Her turbulent relationship with Steve Harvey put her in the public spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Despite the unforgiving media scrutiny, Mary has continued to stand firm, and her story vividly illustrates the personal and financial toll a bitter divorce can have on someone’s life.
