Juanita Vanoy – Inside the Life of Michael Jordan’s First Wife

Juanita Vanoy is the first wife of Michael Jordan, the famous basketball player. Juanita and Jordan met in 1984, through a mutual friend at Bennigan’s restaurant in Chicago. They later got married in 1989, and sadly divorced in 2006.

Born on June 13, 1959, she is a former professional model and businesswoman. She is also a former executive secretary at the American Bar Association and co-founder of ‘Michael and Juanita Endowment Fund. 

She is currently making waves in the real estate world as a business agent. She became a public figure many years ago as a result of her relationship with the retired professional basketball player Michael Jeffrey Jordan, whom she was married to for seventeen years. The net worth of Juanita Vanoy is estimated to be $200 million.

It is impossible to end a conversation about this beautiful realtor without mentioning Michael Jordan, the acclaimed greatest basketball player of all time. Despite being a down-to-earth celebrity and private individual, Vanoy’s personal life was overshadowed by Jordan’s intimidating fame across the sports community and beyond, thus making her a subject of interest to the media and public.

Juanita Vanoy Bio Summary

Age/Date of Birth:	64 years old (13 June 1959)
Height:	5 feet 6 inches (167 cm)
Ethnicity/Race:	Multiracial
Nationality:	American
Husband or Boyfriend:	Michael Jordan (m. 1989–2006)
Parents:	Father: John Vanoy Mother: Dorothy Vanoy
Net Worth:	$200 Million

What We Know About Juanita Vanoy

Although she is a successful woman in her own right, Juanita Vanoy is best known as the ex-wife of legendary basketball star Michael Jordan. She was born in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States of America on the 13th day of June 1959 and was raised in South Side Chicago along with her five sisters.

There is no much information about her parents, siblings, family history, and educational achievements as she is yet to share these aspects of her personal life with the media.

Before she became famous, Vanoy worked as a model. She launched her modeling career as a teenager and eventually spent some years in the industry working for some brands. Juanita is also the co-founder of the charity organization, Michael and Juanita Jordan Endowment Fund. She founded the organization with her ex-husband before their divorce.

Vanoy has also worked for several organizations, including Heitman Financial Services as a loan officer, the American Bar Association as its executive secretary, and as the honorary chairwoman of several cultural events and charity organizations.

She is said to have written a weekly entertainment column in the mid-1990s for the American newspaper firm, Copley News Service, and was among those who publicly spoke out against alleged racial profiling at Highland Park Police Department many years back.

Currently, Juanita Vanoy is in the real estate business, and she has been able to garner an impressive net worth of $170 million from her lucrative career. As of 2004, she was listed as an agent for the real estate company Coldwell Banker in Highland Park.

The Life of Juanita as Michael Jordan’s First Wife

Juanita Vanoy is not only a hard-working businesswoman but also a devoted mother, who has been playing a wonderful parenting role in the lives of the children she had with her ex-husband. Despite going through some challenges and traumatic crisis in the past, she has managed to ward off unnecessary attention from the media and public towards her family.

Vanoy was legally married to the former professional basketball player, Michael Jordan from the year 1989 to 2006. The couple met for the first time in 1984, through a mutual friend at Bennigan’s restaurant in Chicago. At the time, Juanita was a loan officer and was relatively known to Jordan’s fans and the world at large.

In the course of their courtship, the couple maintained a low-key profile and a few years, they tied the knot. Their wedding was held at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas in 1989 and it was graced by their close pals, sports personalities, and family, including their first child, who was just 10 months old at the time.

The couple had three children – two sons and a daughter. Their first child Jeffery Michael Jordan was born on 18th November 1988. He is a Loyola Academy graduate (Wilmette, Illinois). Jeffery had his collegiate career as a basketball player at the University of Illinois (2007–2010) and the University of Central Florida (2010–2012). He has since retired from the sports and has been married to Radina Aneva since May 2019.

Jeffery’s immediate younger sibling Marcus James Jordan is also a former basketball player. Born on December 24, 1990, Marcus completed his college basketball career as a shooting guard at the University of Central Florida from 2009 to 2012. He has a shoe line called “Trophy Room.” The fashion store was launched on 23rd May 2016 and is located in Orlando, Florida.

The Jordan brothers have one biological sister named Jasmine Jordan, who was born on 7th December 1992. She graduated from Syracuse University and currently lives in North Carolina, precisely in Charlotte. Jasmine works for the Nike Jordan brand as a field representative at Nike HQ in Oregon, and for her father’s NBA team (the Hornets), which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

She shares a son named Rakeem (born in May 2019) with American basketball player Christmas Rakeem.

What Led To Juanita Vanoy and Michael Jordan’s Divorce?

Like most celebrity marriages, the couple’s union had its fair share of ups and downs for many years. There were several reports of troubles and conflicts between Vanoy and Michael, which resulted in Vanoy filing for a divorce in 2002. Unfortunately for her, the divorce process failed to pull through; hence they reconciled and carried on with their relationship.

Four years later, they went their separate ways for good and their divorce process was finalized on 29th December 2006. According to reports, Juanita Vanoy received a whopping $168 million settlement out of the marriage dissolution, an amount believed to be the largest celebrity divorce settlement at that time. In addition to this, she also got custody of their three kids, as well as their seven-acre mansion in Chicago.

It was initially believed that Vanoy’s marriage to the retired basketball legend failed because of his relationship with his former partner, Karla Knafel. Before Vanoy parted ways with Michael, it was claimed that Jordan paid Knafel $250,000 to keep their relationship a secret. However, a DNA test would later exonerate Jordan after Knafel insisted that he is the father of her child and that he had promised her $5 million to remain silent.

Michael’s addiction to gambling and alleged extramarital affairs are the main reasons Juanita Vanoy decided to hop out of their marriage. The former basketball star has since remarried and has given birth to two lovely identical daughters with his second wife Yvette Prieto, a Cuba-born model.

The two met in 2007 in a club, got engaged in 2011, and eventually tied the knot on the 27th day of April 2013 in Palm Beach, Florida. Their daughters Victoria and Ysabel were born in February 2014.

Where Is Juanita Vanoy Since Their Divorce?

Juanita Vanoy has largely stayed below the media’s radar since she parted ways with Michael Jordan. As of this writing, the Chicago resident is still single and has never been romantically involved with anyone. She is said to be confiding only to her close friends and family members.

Apart from playing wonderful parenting roles in the lives of her three kids, Juanita Vanoy has been doing great in her real estate business. Her kids are her greatest inspiration, while her lucrative business line has helped her financial life in no small measure.

Key Facts:

What is Juanita Vanoy’s Net Worth?

As of 2022, the net worth of Juanita Vanoy is estimated to be $200 million.

Why did Juanita Vanoy and Michael Jordan Divorce?

As reported, it was as a result of Michael Jordan’s extramarital affair with Karla Knafel that led to their divorce. However, Michael has strongly denied this.

How Much did Juanita Receive in Divorce Settlement?

Juanita and Michael’s divorce is one of the most expensive divorces in history. It was reported that the divorce settlement was worth $168 million. The settlement includes a few properties and varied assets. In 2006, the settlement was then the largest celebrity settlement of all time.

How Many Children do Juanita and Michael Have Together?

Three Children, namely; Jeffrey Michael Jordon, Marcus Jordon, and Jasmine M. Jordon