The dust of rumored marital scandals surrounding comedian Steve Harvey has yet to settle as fans continue to revisit his past.
A resurfaced interview of his ex-wife, Mary Shackelford, from over a decade ago has gained newfound attention a year after speculation arose alleging his current wife, Marjorie Harvey, had been unfaithful.
The “Think Like a Man” actor has vehemently denied any wrongdoing in his marriage of 17 years, insisting that Marjorie is not only the love of his life but is also at the center of everything that has worked out in his favor since reconnecting almost two decades ago.
Still, with 2024 starting off with Katt Williams blasting Harvey as being a morally bankrupt individual and persistent infidelity rumors lingering, some people now believe Mary’s account of being wronged by her ex-husband.
A 2012 interview for “Girlfriend FM” with host Deya Smith-Taylor has resurfaced, leading some to do a double take at Steve. In it, Mary speaks about the aftermath of her and the “Family Feud” host’s 2005 divorce.
They were married for nine years and welcomed one son, Wynton Harvey, when Steve threw in the towel on their union. Mary publicly accused him of being a serial cheater, among other offenses at the apex of their fallout.
When speaking with Smith-Taylor, the mother of one says that comparisons of divorce being a death of sorts are true, except “in death there is closure. There is no closure for me. As of today, there was never any closure at all.”
Mary goes on to claim that she was gutted in more than one way by the separation. “Financially, my life is in a shamble … but it’s been like that since 2005,” she said.
She blames Steve’s influence as a public figure for preventing her from walking away with an admirable settlement and eventually strained access to their son, who went to live with Steve when he was 13.
“We have a man of power and authority, and he used that in a court, in a small town in Texas. He was able to manipulate this entire situation to his benefit,” she says. But Mary claims their problems began five to six years before the divorce.
She said she sought therapy for their entire family and Steve to no avail. “I knew eventually it would come this,” she tells Smith-Taylor.
The entertainer’s ex-wife even took aim at his persona as a relationship connoisseur who felt emboldened to pen the book “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man,” telling women where they were going wrong in their pursuits to secure a man.
“We’ve lowered our expectations. We didn’t say well, this man has been married three times, how could he possibly write a book on relationships? How could he be a guru? This man?” she asks rhetorically.
Prior to their union, Steve was married to his first wife, Marcia Harvey, with whom he shares twin daughters and a son. They were together for over a decade when they divorced in 1994. Fans have long speculated that he was involved with Mary before their separation was finalized.
With Steve, Mary says, “I lost my virtue. My mom raised me to be a virtuous woman, not perfect but virtuous in that don’t lower your standards…I lowered my standards and here we are 16 years later because I didn’t hold myself to those standards that my mom laid out for me.”
Among those standards was to not share a household before marriage. Mary and Steve cohabitated for six years before they eventually wed in 1996. Elsewhere in the interview she hit back at those who pegged her out to be an angry Black woman, instead suggesting, “If anyone is acting scorned, it is him.”
Steve Harvey's wife, Marjorie, has addressed rumors that she cheated on Steve harvey.
— lovelyti (@lovelyti) August 28, 2023
Hours earlier, Steve angrily set the record straight about the subject while speaking at Invest Fest 2023 in Atlanta on Sunday.
Any Thoughts????#SteveHarvey #Marjorie #Lovelytitv pic.twitter.com/IAVndfppdz
The two-part conversation resurfaced due to recent comments, where one viewer wrote, “Here we are 12 years later and Steves character has been exposed. The truth always come out eventually.”
One sympathetic person wrote, “There is nothing worse than a failed relationship with no closure. All you know is it’s over and you don’t know why…you can’t speak to him and ask why or get answers…it’s horrible. It’s disrespectful and childish.”
Another said, “This woman can talk she stole Steve off the first wife karma now she’s crying boo hoo he left you for another sidechick.” Another comment reads, “Women and Men like Steve and Marjorie might have it all, but in the end they both will receive what they reallly deserve!”
In 2017, Mary sued her ex for $60 million, accusing him of brainwashing, financial exploitation, child endangerment, and more. The California filing was ultimately dismissed by a Los Angeles circuit judge. Six years earlier, she uploaded three YouTube videos disclosing her grievances with the actor, saying, “I really need some closure with this situation.” Though, as evident by the resurfaced interview, that closure never arrived.
