Juanita Vanoy: The Story of Michael Jordan's Ex-Wife!

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Relationship between Michael and Juanita

Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy first met at Chicago Bennigan’s restaurant in 1984. They met through mutual friends who thought they would be a perfect match.

When the duo met, Vanoy was a loan officer at a bank. She was trying to earn an associate’s degree while Jordan was playing for the Bulls.

They met again after a few weeks at a party. They started dating and on December 31, 1987, Michael proposed to Juanita at Nick’s Fish Market in Chicago.

Juanita said yes, however, they called off their engagement. A year later, on September 2, 1989, at 3.30 AM, at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, the duo got married in front of their one-year-old son, Jeffrey Jordan. The former basketball player gifted a five-karat marquise diamond ring to his wife on their wedding day. Meanwhile, his wife gave him a three-carat diamond.

Mother of Three

Juanita Vanoy and Michael Jordan have three kids together.

Michael and Juanita talk about having kids.

They welcomed their eldest child, Jeffrey Michael Jordan, 10 months prior to their wedding, on November 18, 1988. He got married to Radina Aneva in 2019.

Juanita Vanoy and Michael Jordan with Their Children. — Juanita and Michael had three kids.
Source: Instagram

The duo welcomed their second child, Marcus James Jordan, who was born on December 24, 1990. He and his elder brother are founders of Heir Jordan. Marcus is also the founder of a boutique called Trophy Room since September 2014.

Their third child, daughter, Jasmine Mickael Jordan, was born on December 7, 1992. She is dating Rakeem Christmas and has a kid named Rakeem Michael Christmas. Jasmine worked as a basketball operations coordinator but now works at Nike as a Jordan Brand Executive.

Juanita and Michael’s Divorce

After 17 years of marriage, on January 4, 2002, Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy parted ways citing irreconcilable differences. However, they withdrew the divorce petition just a month later.

Michael and Janita Jordan mutually and amicably decided to end their 17-year marriage.

Unfortunately, they separated again and divorced on December 29, 2006. The reason for their divorce was deemed to be the 59-year-old‘s extramarital affair with Karla Knafel. It was also believed that he paid her $250 thousand to keep their relationship a secret.

Juanita wanted full custody of her kids, half of their marital property, and the 25,000-square-foot mansion in Chicago’s Ritzy Highland Park.

Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy with their Children. — Juanita wanted primary custody of her three children.
Source: Instagram

The former athlete had an estimated net worth of $400 million in September 2001. He had to pay her $168 million plus a 7-acre mansion and $2.1 million in legal fees.

Post-Divorce

Juanita Vanoy has stayed away from the public eyes following her separation.

I wanted to simplify my life. I got off boards, I downsized the way I lived I had to because I wasn’t going to be in a huge house. I really looked forward to the basic things: my children and good friends.

As for Michael Jordan, he got married to Yvette Prieto on April 27, 2013, and welcomed twin daughters, Ysabel and Victoria Jordan.

Career and Net Worth

Juanita Vanoy was a model in Chicago. It’s believed she started modeling even before completing high school. She also worked as an executive secretary at the American Bar Association.

She is also the co-founder of Michael and Juanita Endowment Fund. At the moment, she serves as one of the board members of Reel Beauty Inc.

Vanoy and her former partner purchased the 7-acre penthouse for $3 million. She sold it for $3.2 million in 2014. The house was first listed for sale in March 2012 for $5 million. The asking price was reduced to $4.3 million in April 2013 and $4 million in February 2014. The penthouse was finally sold for $3.2 million.

In 2007, she purchased a mansion in Chicago’s River North neighborhood worth $4.725 million. The house was listed for sale for $4.98 million later on.