Inside Michael Strahan And His Ex Jean Muggli's Brutal Custody Battle
Michael Strahan has had some seriously shady romances and tense relationships (looking at you, Kelly Ripa), but none have been as dramatic as his union with Jean Muggli. The pair met in 1994 while Muggli was working at a skincare salon in New York City. They hit it off and tied the knot in 1999 before welcoming twins Sophia and Isabella Strahan in 2004. Then, before his daughters had their second birthday, the pro athlete filed for divorce in 2005. It would mark Strahan's second split (he was previously married to Wanda Hutchins), not that it made things any easier. As he later told People in 2016, "Getting divorced is probably one of the toughest things I've ever gone through." And he wasn't kidding.
After Strahan decided to officially end things with Muggli, she countered by claiming he had been unfaithful and filed her own suit alleging domestic violence. However, that was soon dismissed, and their divorce was finalized in 2006. For her part, Muggli was awarded $15.3 million, plus a $311,150 lump sum covering retroactive child support and $18,000 a month in future child support.
Their union was legally over, but the feuding didn't end. Since then, Muggli and Strahan have fought bitterly over who should have custody of their daughters, where they should live, and who should cover their expenses. Here's a look inside Michael Strahan and his ex Jean Muggli's brutal custody battle, which lasted over a decade.
Michael Strahan wanted primary custody of his twins
Following the couple's divorce, Jean Muggli took Sophia and Isabella Strahan to live on Sycamore Bend Plantation in Wilmington, North Carolina. As she told Carolinas Equestrian at the time, "I was trying to create a childhood like I had, outdoors, but with more of the things I would have liked." Indeed, the twins had access to beach volleyball, tennis, half-basketball courts, and a horse-riding ring. They attended high school locally and became passionate equestrians, but in 2020, Michael Strahan suddenly filed for primary custody. He argued that the then-15-year-olds should move to Manhattan and live with him after they were both accepted to New York's prestigious Sacred Heart Academy. Interestingly (and confusingly), Page Six learned that he had previously been upset with Muggli when she secretly took her daughters to interview at various New York City schools in 2018.
During his fight for sole custody, Strahan also accused his ex of being physically and verbally abusive towards their kids. What's more, he alleged Muggli wasn't doing right by her duties and failing to bring them to volleyball matches, equestrian events, and court-ordered therapy sessions. He also noted that she had once refused to let the girls have their passports when they were due to visit Europe with him.
Ultimately, Strahan's claims were dismissed later that same year after Muggli agreed to move with the girls to New York so they could alternate weeks living with each parent.
Michael Strahan and Jean Muggli's legal battle isn't over
Michael Strahan and Jean Muggli's custody battle officially ended in 2023, but the exes are still fighting. Now, they're sparring over money, with Muggli demanding additional payments from the news host. Initially following their divorce, Strahan paid $18,000 a month in child support, but that decreased to $13,000 a month following his retirement from the NFL in 2008. A decade later, Muggli went to court to argue that simply wasn't enough. She filed two suits in 2018 and 2019, demanding over half a million dollars from her estranged ex.
In court documents seen by TMZ, she claimed that she and Strahan had agreed to split the girls' horseback riding bills, which had added up to $450,802 since 2017. In addition to half that bill, she also said she was due $321,654 in back payments because child support should have been adjusted for inflation starting in 2010. Muggli noted that the cost of living had increased and that her ex was also earning way more than he had been back in 2009. Finally, she wanted future payments to go up to $18,378 a month. "Michael travels by private plane, even Michael's dog travels by private plane," Muggli slammed in court papers seen by The U.S. Sun. "In fact, Michael once told a friend of mine he spends more on his dog than on his children."
In 2021, Muggli filed yet another motion, this one asking Strahan to pay her legal fees in the ongoing case.