Who is Mary Joan Martelly? All About George Foreman’s Wife

Mary Joan Martelly is the fifth and current wife of boxing legend George Foreman. They have been together since 1985 and are parents of five children, three sons and two daughters. In addition to this, they have also adopted two children. From his previous relationships, Foreman is the father of five other children. In 2008, the couple, along with their children, starred in a reality show made on Foreman’s life. Active members of their community, Mary and Foreman do extensive volunteer works for various social initiatives. In 2007, they received accolades for their work on the AIDS-awareness campaign at an event called ‘A World of Friends Fighting AIDS’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-pnyVmnkkk

Early Life & Family

Mary Joan Martelly was born in Mon Repo in St. Lucia. She was the third of six children of her parents. In her youth, she was an exceptional athlete and played various sports when she was in school. Following her father’s death, Mary was forced to find jobs to support herself and her family. She was subsequently hired at a Chinese restaurant and a clothing factory. After she relocated to the US, she began working as a nanny.

Marriage to George Foreman

Mary and Gerorge Foreman started dating at some point in 1984. They exchanged wedding vows on March 27, 1985. The couple has five children together, two daughters, Natalia and Leola, and three sons George IV (“Big Wheel”), George V (“Red”), and George VI (“Little Joey”). Foreman has also named his two older sons after himself. He explained his reasons on his website, stating, “I named all my sons George Edward Foreman so they would always have something in common. I say to them, ‘If one of us goes up, then we all go up together, and if one goes down, we all go down together!” Among Mary and Foreman’s sons, George IV made an appearance on the second season of Fox’s ‘American Grit’ as a contestant, finishing the competition at the seventh place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-pnyVmnkkk

In 2009, the couple adopted a daughter named Isabella Brandie Lilja. Three years later, they signed the adoption papers for another, Courtney Isaac. At present, Isabella resides in Sweden and is a popular blogger who has been posting since 2010 under the username BellaNeutella.

A two-time world heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medallist, Foreman is considered one of the greatest athletes ever to step into the boxing ring. After a career that lasted about 28 years (1969-1997), he retired from boxing. Since then, he has been able to establish himself as a successful author and entrepreneur.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-pnyVmnkkk

Mary and her husband lead a very low-key life in Houston, Texas and strives to keep their personal life away from the media spotlight. They rarely appear in public together. In 2008, however, the couple, along with their children, was featured on TV Land’s family reality show ‘Family Foreman’

George Foreman’s Previous Relationships

Before tying the knot with Mary, Foreman had been married four other times. His first wife is Adrienne Calhoun, to whom he was married from December 24, 1971, to February 13, 1974. They have a daughter together, named Michi. While he was married to Calhoun, Foreman got involved with a woman named Pamela Clay, who is the mother of his oldest son, George Foreman Jr.

Between October 6, 1977, and August 3, 1979, Foreman was married to Cynthia Lewis, they have no children together. His marriage to Sharon Goodson, lasting from September 15, 1981, to April 23, 1982, produced no children either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-pnyVmnkkk

Foreman’s fourth wife was Andrea Skeete. They married on April 28, 1982, and divorced in February 1985. They have a son together, George Foreman III, who has followed in his father’s footsteps, first into the world of boxing and then into entrepreneurship. Some sources state that Skeete is also the mother of Freeda Foreman, who also became a professional boxer. In 2019, she died of apparent suicide at age 42. Foreman has another daughter named Georgetta, whose mother is Charlotte Gross.

Mary Joan Martelly’s Charity & Volunteer Works

Mary and her husband are active participants in various AIDS awareness campaigns. They served as volunteers for a campaign for the implementation of preventive measures against paediatric AIDS. They have devoted their time and wealth to make people aware of AIDS in children in both Houston and St. Lucia.