Few men can make the transition from fierce athlete to relatable talk show host, but Michael Strahan is just that talented. For the last decade, the former New York Giants defensive end has served as an affable co-host on both Live! with Kelly and Michael and Good Morning America.
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Strahan’s on-air personality led to a ratings boost for Live! and increased his public profile exponentially. As a result, viewers began to inquire about his personal life. The former football star has had a busy love life that includes two marriages and a broken engagement. For details on Michael Strahan’s ex-wife Wanda Hutchins, read on.
Wanda Hutchins Was Michael Strahan’s First Love
Strahan, a so-called military brat, was a 17-year-old student at Mannheim Christian Academy in Germany when he met his girlfriend Wanda Hutchins. He bounced between Germany and his home state of Texas so that he could play football and eventually received a scholarship to play at Texas Southern University. All the while, he maintained a long-distance relationship with Wanda.
When he was 20, Wanda became pregnant. In 1992, she gave birth to their daughter Tanita; Strahan married her shortly after. The next year, following his selection in the 1993 NFL draft by the Giants, they welcomed their second child, Michael Jr.
Michael Jr. and Tanita have grown into adults that both parents are proud of. Check out these pics from their mom’s Instagram to see how much they’ve grown.
Wanda Hutchins And Michael Strahan Split Up Amicably
Sadly, after four years of marriage, the couple called it quits. Yet Strahan’s split from Wanda was anything but ugly.
“Wanda and I decided that while we would no longer be married we would always be family,” he wrote in his autobiography Wake Up Happy: The Dream Big, Win Big Guide to Transforming Your Life.
After the split, Wanda headed back to Germany to raise their children, and despite the distance, Strahan never shirked his duties as a dad.
“I think a lot of times when you split, people assume that the mother is supposed to take responsibility for the kids,” Strahan told People in 2016. “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.”
While their split was mostly quiet, details of their divorce settlement eventually became public during Strahan’s divorce from his second wife, Jean Muggli. In an effort to defend her former husband, Wanda revealed that she received child support payments of $2,500 per month. The family also lived in a $163,000 house in Texas purchased by Strahan. “We’re happy,” she said in court. (In contrast, Muggli sought claims worth $14 million, including a 30-room mansion in Montclair, New Jersey.)
Is Dorian Hutchins Michael’s Son?
The simple answer is no. After the couple split, Wanda gave birth to Dorian Hutchins, which people sometimes mistake as Strahan’s child. Although this is incorrect, the former football player still recognizes him as family.
“I treat him and take care of him as if he were my son because it’s very important to me that Michael Junior and Tanita have the confidence of knowing that their mother is fine, their brother is fine, everybody is well taken care of,” he wrote in his book.
Michael Strahan went on to have two daughters with Jean Muggli, Sophia and Isabella, and despite that relationship not working out either, it’s clear Stahan has a big place in his heart for all his kids, biological or otherwise.
What Is Wanda Hutchins Up To Today?
It seems Wanda typically keeps a low profile. Her Instagram account has more cat pics than selfies, and she seems to enjoy living a modest life.
She also owns Wandaful Home Designs, which repurposes and upcycles furniture. Her account indicated she is “always taking orders,” and from what we can see, she does an excellent job!