Who Is Isabella Strahan’s Mom? Everything to Know About Michael’s Ex Jean Muggli

Isabella Strahan’s cancer battle will be documented in Life Interrupted: Isabella Strahan’s Fight Against Cancer on Wednesday (February 5) night. The documentary will feature Isabella sharing her story, with appearances from her twin sister, Sophia, dad Michael Strahan, and mom Jean Muggli Strahan.

While Jean leads a much more private life than her ex-husband, she did on-camera interviews for the special. “That was just the worst moment any parent could expect,” she said in a preview clip, referencing the day she found out about Isabella’s brain tumor. “You don’t expect it. My kids had never been sick.”

Scroll down for everything we know about Jean and her relationship with the former NFL star.

How did Michael Strahan and Jean Muggli meet?

Michael was still playing in the NFL when he met Jean. The two reportedly met while she was working at a salon in New York City in the late 1990s. He was on the New York Giants at the time. They tied the knot in 1999.

Michael Strahan and Jean Muggli’s divorce

Michael and Jean welcomed their twin daughters in 2004. At the time, he already had a daughter and a son from his previous marriage to Wanda Hutchins. However, less than a year after Isabella and Sophia were born, things got rocky in Michael and Jean’s relationship. He filed for divorce in 2005, and it was finalized in 2006.

“Getting divorced is probably one of the toughest things I’ve ever gone through, but it was also a learning experience and I learned a lot about myself, and I learned a lot about a lot of the people who were around at that time, and some aren’t around anymore,” Michael told People in 2016. “When you’re a single father at that point with 4-month-old kids, and you gotta be with them all the time by yourself and watching them grow, and you gotta be active, and I gotta do all those things, it taught me that I can do it. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I can do it. And I did it.”

Michael Strahan and Jean Muggli’s custody battle

Things have been quite messy in Michael and Jean’s relationship over the years. It started before the divorce filing when she filed a domestic violence complaint. “I would never physically or psychologically harm any of my loved ones, especially my wife. That’s simply not the man I am,” Michael told the New York Post at the time. Jean’s complaint was eventually dismissed because she admitted that her ex did not get physical with her, although she made other allegations of abuse in court, which Michael has denied.

When the divorce was finalized in July 2006, Jean was granted $15.3 million from her ex, as well as $18,000 a month in child support and $311,150 in retroactive child support payments. The monthly child support was reduced to $13,000 after Michael’s retirement from the NFL, according to TMZ.

After the former couple came to their custody arrangement, the twins spent most of their time living in North Carolina with their mother, who had primary custody. However, Michael filed for sole custody in 2020, asking for the then-teenagers to move to New York City to attend school and live with him. In his court filing, he accused Jean of physical and emotional abuse, according to TMZ. He also claimed that Jean wasn’t taking the girls to court-ordered therapy appointments and alleged that she was at fault for them missing various activities and sporting events.

The former NFL star’s case was dismissed when Jean agreed to move to New York City with the girls, allowing for an alternating schedule with both parents.

Around the same time as these issues arose, the two were also in a court battle over child support payments, with Jean asking for higher monthly payments and claiming that Michael owed her money from past bills that he never contributed to.

Related

Michael Strahan Gives Update on Daughter's Health After Cancer Battle

Isabella and Sophia turned 18 in October 2022, making them legal adults. Michael and Jean put on a united front to support Isabella after her cancer diagnosis the following year.

Jean Muggli’s legal issues

Jean was also involved in legal issues with another ex, Marianne Ayer. In 2021, Marianne accused Jean of harassment, according to TMZ. She said they previously dated and claimed that after the relationship ended the alleged harassment began. Her charges against Jean included grand larceny, disorderly conduct, harassment, coercion, and forcible touching.

Marianne was granted an order of protection and Jean was arrested in June 2021 for allegedly violating the order by showing up at her ex’s house. Jean was charged with criminal contempt, TMZ reported.

Life Interrupted: Isabella Strahan’s Fight Against Cancer, Wednesday, February 5, 10/9c, ABC

If you or someone you know is the victim of child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453). If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

If you or someone you know is the victim of domestic abuse, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. 

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