Nothing makes Michael Strahan more proud than being a dad to his four children.
The TV host and former NFL athlete has an incredible bond with Tanita, Michael Jr., and his twins Isabella and Sophia.
While his close relationship with his offspring is often celebrated, what about his relationship with his first ex-wife, Wanda Hutchins?
Michael shares his two oldest children with her, but what happened between the GMA host and his former wife and is she in his life today?
I get this feeling.
Michael’s first marriage
Michael met Wanda when he was 17 and living in Germany where his dad was serving in the Army.
They fell in love and got married in 1992 when Michael was 20 years old. They started a family almost immediately with Tanita born the same year they tied the knot and their second child, Michael Strahan Jr., born a year later.
Michael’s two children with his ex-wife© Provided by Hello! US
Why did they divorce?
Michael married Wanda when he was very young© Provided by Hello! US
Their marriage was short-lived with the couple divorcing in 1996. Michael opened up about their decision to split during an appearance on In Depth with Graham Bensinger in 2023.
“My first marriage with Wanda, we were just young,” he recalled, before revealing: “She’s one of my best friends to this day. I love her to death. I have two great kids.
“That was a great experience where we both realized we were young, out of our league, didn’t know how we were supposed to act. We were kids trying to play adults.”
Michael and Wanda with their son© Provided by Hello! US
He concluded: “But now that we came to that agreement together, we came to that understanding together, we have grown together.”
He also wrote about Wanda in his autobiography: Wake Up Happy: The Dream Big, Win Big Guide to Transforming your life.
“Wanda and I decided that while we would no longer be married, we would always be family,” he penned.
Wanda stayed in Germany
Wanda raised their kids in Germany before moving to the US© Provided by Hello! US
Wanda stayed in Germany and raised their children there, while Michael moved back to the US.
Reflecting on bringing up his kids from afar, Michael later told People: “I think a lot of times when you split, people assume that the mother is supposed to take responsibility for the kids.
<cs-card “=”” class=”card-outer card-full-size ” card-fill-color=”#FFFFFF” card-secondary-color=”#E1E1E1″ gradient-angle=”112.05deg” id=”native_ad_inarticle-1-7d1e5d2d-8204-4c4b-ab15-d1da8bd28a12″ size=”_2x_1y” part=””>
Techno MagAccess all TV channels anywhere, anytime
Ad
“But from day one, it was very important for me to be active, to be a part of their life. I was constantly on planes and phones. And it’s very hard — of course it’s hard with them being in Germany. But one thing I learned is, you make time for what you want to make time for.”
A blended family
Michael is also a dad to twins© Provided by Hello! US
Michael is also a father to Isabella and Sophia, who he shares with his second ex-wife, Jean Muggli. Their breakup was not so amicable as his with Wanda, but the siblings have always had a close bond.
“You worry how the kids will mix and blend,” he said to People. “But brothers and sisters are brothers and sisters regardless of different mothers.”
Michael Strahan’s blended family© Provided by Hello! US
Where is Wanda now?
Michael’s first wife has avoided the spotlight throughout her life. When Michael got a lucrative NFL deal, he moved his ex and his children back to the US, where Wanda remains.
According to her Instagram page, she runs a home design company and still goes by Wanda Strahan to this day.
Is Dorian Hutchins Michael’s son?
Michael treats Dorian like one of his own© Provided by Hello! US
Wanda went on to have another child, Dorian Hutchins, and while he’s not Michael’s son, he recognizes him as part of the family.
“I treat him and take care of him as if he were my son,” he wrote in his book. “Because it’s very important to me that Michael Jr. and Tanita have the confidence of knowing that their mother is fine, their brother is fine, everybody is well taken care of.”
News
THAT WAS THE MOMENT I REALIZED SOMETHING FAR WORSE THAN BETRAYAL HAD BEEN HAPPENING UNDER MY ROOF
The Flinch For one terrible second, it felt like the entire world stopped turning. I stood in the wide archway of my own living room in Greenwich, Connecticut, with a bouquet of white roses in one hand and a boutique…
My Parents Paid For My Sister’s College But Not Mine—Untill The Dean Called My Name As Valedictorian
Episode 1: BAD INVESTMENT My name is Francis Townsend, and I’m twenty-two years old. Two weeks ago, I stood behind a podium on a graduation stage in front of three thousand people while my parents sat in the front…
My Dad Mocked Me As ‘Uneducated And Worthless’—Then I Told Him Who I Really Was
Episode 1: FREELOADER My name is Heather Evans. I’m thirty-two years old. Three weeks ago, at my father’s retirement party, he did something so cruel, so public, and so perfectly on brand for the man he had always been…
My Parents Refused To Care For My Twins During My Surgery—Their Faces When Grandpa Spoke Priceless
Episode 1: BURDEN My name is Myra Whitmore. I’m thirty-four years old, a cardiology resident, and a single mother to three-year-old twins. Two months ago, I was lying in the back of an ambulance with blood on my hands,…
My Parents Disowned Me In 10th Grade, Pregnant—Years Later, They Begged For My Son. He Didn’t Exist.
Episode 1: DEAD TO THEM My name is Grace Meyers. I’m thirty-six years old. Twenty years ago, my parents threw me out of the house for getting pregnant in tenth grade. I was sixteen. It was raining. I had…
“Don’t Come Home, Your Sister Doesn’t Want You There”, My Parents Said—Years Later, At My Wedding…
Episode 1: DON’T COME HOME My name is Tori Thatcher, and I’m thirty-two years old. Five years ago, my mother called me three days before Thanksgiving and said seven words that split my life clean in two. “Don’t come home…
End of content
No more pages to load
