The Untold Truth Of Michael Jordan's Wife
After Michael Jordan's divorce from his first wife, Juanita Jordan, was finalized, he reportedly had to pony up a whopping $168 million to his ex-wife as part of their settlement. Many sports fans were convinced the Chicago Bulls legend would never marry again, but he surprised us all by giving love another shot when he met Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto up in the club in 2008, according to Hollywood Life. After what was described as some "freak dancing" on the dance floor, the two began dating.
Despite their 15-year age difference, Jordan and Prieto clearly had more than enough in common to not only date for three years but to eventually tie the knot. A star-studded affair, their April 2013 wedding was held at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, followed by reception at the Bear's Club — a prestigious golf course in Jupiter, Fla., according to People.
While much is known about Jordan's iconic sports career, the opposite is true for Prieto. We were, however, able to dig up some facts about Jordan's lady love, including details about one of her famous exes and the juicy allegations surrounding her family's criminal history.
This is the untold truth of Michael Jordan's wife.
A muy famous ex
Being romantically involved with His Airness, Michael Jordan, wasn't Yvette Prieto's first time dating a high-profile celebrity. Back in January 2003, she was spotted at a soccer game alongside Latin superstar Julio Iglesias Jr., according to HOLA! magazine (via People). By that time, Prieto and the "The Way I Want You" singer had reportedly dated for a while and their romance appeared to be serious.
Iglesias, whose interview was translated into English (via People), described her as being a "fantastic girl," and, aside from likely being stricken by her beauty, Enrique Iglesias' brother was also enamored with how "loving" she was.
Of course, this romance wouldn't last, but it does give a little bit of insight into the type of person Prieto is. We have no doubt she lured Michael Jordan in with those same amazing qualities... mixed in with a little bit of "freak dancing," too, of course.
Her parents allegedly have a 'sneaky' past
Once Michael Jordan made clear his intent to marry his Cuban queen, the press went to work to gather up as much information about the elusive Yvette Prieto as possible. In terms of her own personal life, they came up empty-handed in most cases, but they did discover a deep, dark family secret involving her parents, Carlos and Maria Prieto.
According to the National Enquirer, Yvette's parents, aunt, and uncle were convicted of insurance fraud after they illegally collected "more than $410,000 in payments," beginning in March 1998. The money was allegedly funneled to a company Yvette's mom owned, called Pacificare Case Management, Inc., based out of Maria's residence in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Yvette's parents were convicted in 2005 and "served 18 months in state prison," the gossip rag reported.
"This all happened before Michael met Yvette, so the whole family has just swept this bit of information under the rug," a source told the publication. "I hope Michael protects his money because her parents are very sneaky."
It'd seem that Jordan didn't hold the Prietos' reported past mistakes against them, as the Enquirer noted that the star athlete splurged on a new home for his in-laws.
Her $10 million wedding was a slam dunk
For their April 2013 wedding, Jordan pulled out all the stops, giving Prieto "everything she's ever wanted," according to People. Thanks to celebrity wedding planner Sharon Sacks, who reportedly staged two of Kim Kardashian's weddings, Jordan and Prieto enjoyed a slam dunk of a special day. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Prieto wore a "French silk voile corseted sheer sheath gown by J'Aton Couture" that was covered in "handmade silk lace created especially for her, and enhanced with Swarovski crystals," along with a dramatic train with a "peacock-feathered" accent.
Nearly 300 guests reportedly listened to tunes spinned by DJ MC Lyte, while Robin Thicke and Usher serenaded Jordan, Prieto, and their guests. For their first dance, Jordan and Prieto shimmied to K'Jon's "On the Ocean," according to Us Weekly. Superstar guests, including golfer Tiger Woods and film director Spike Lee, enjoyed a fireworks show and munched on an "all-white, seven-layer white rum wedding cake," as noted by the The Hollywood Reporter.
So, what was the total tab for Prieto and Jordan's magical day? An estimated $10 million, Us Weekly reported.
A charitable bride
Long before Michael Jordan's net worth skyrocketed from $350 million to $1.65 billion in 2018, according to Forbes, he and his wife, then-fiancée Yvette Prieto, were hardly strapped for cash. Even then, they probably had everything they could possibly need, including a private jet and a mega yacht dubbed "Mr. Terrible," as Money Inc. reported. So what type of wedding gift do you give a couple who has everything? Well, nothing ... no material things, at least.
For their 2013 wedding, in lieu of gifts, Prieto and her groom asked their estimated 300 guests to make a donation to the James R. Jordan Foundation, a charity named after Jordan's father who was murdered in July 1993. And instead of tossing her wedding flowers at the end of the night, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that they were "donated to the Jupiter Medical Center."
Again, we're clueless about Prieto's personality. Heck, at the time of this writing, we haven't even heard her utter more than a word, but forgoing wedding gifts in favor of charitable acts is a true testament to how kind she is, no?
A 'gold digger' with ulterior motives?
Perhaps Michael Jordan didn't hesitate to get married for a second time because he had learned from his past (costly) mistakes. This time around, he allegedly made sure to draft an ironclad prenup to protect his fortune, which was estimated at $650 million at the time, according to the National Enquirer.
The tabloid alleged Jordan only agreed to marry Yvette Prieto if she "signed a prenup giving her $1 million for each year they are married." If their marriage would last over ten years, she would allegedly receive an increase of "$5 million per year." Sweet deal, no? Well, not so fast...
The gossip rag also claimed that Prieto — dubbed a "gold digger" by an insider — wasn't going to "settle" for Jordan's monetary conditions listed in the prenup. Citing potential "child support payments" that could "add up to more than $1 million a year for each kid," the supposed insider claimed having kids was part of Prieto's plans to "soak [Jordan] for a LOT more than a measly million a year" if their marriage failed.
Is she a gold digger or just really smart? You be the judge.
She's a mother of identical twins
Upon marrying Michael Jordan, Yvette Prieto became a stepmother to his three children from his previous marriage — Jeffrey, Marcus, and Jasmine — Us Weekly reported. But Prieto and her new husband didn't waste any time expanding their family even further after they tied the knot. Seven months after their lavish, multi-million dollar wedding, the couple announced they were expecting (via Us Weekly). But there wasn't just one bun in the oven, there were two — identical twin girls, to be exact, according to TMZ.
On Feb. 9, 2014, Prieto gave birth to Victoria and Ysabel, as a rep for her husband told the Associated Press. "Yvette Jordan and the babies are doing well and the family is overjoyed at their arrival," her spokesperson shared. As with most things surrounding Prieto, little is known about her daughters with Jordan, but we're sure they're just the cutest kids ever.
Living like ballers
According to realtor Jeff Lichtenstein's website, Yvette Prieto and Michael Jordan began construction on a Palm Beach, Fla. mansion fit for royalty before the birth of their daughters. Building the sprawling 28,000-square-foot home took "18 months of construction" and "6 months of planning," according to the website. After much patience, they were finally able to move into their new digs in 2013.
Situated in legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus' development called the Bear's Club — the same golf course where Prieto and Jordan had their extravagant wedding reception — the home includes "18 separate roof structures that break the massiveness into houses within houses." The Jordan manse also has 11 bedrooms, a basketball court, a gym, and a rumored cigar-friendly "media room with state-of-the-art electronics," which is perfect for Jordan, a cigar aficionado, who was once quoted as saying that lighting up a smoke "is the most relaxing thing."
The couple reportedly paid $4.8 million for the land alone and an additional $7.6 million to build the estate, making their crib, what the realtor called, "probably the most expensive non-waterfront home in the Palm Beaches."