When Jim Townsend, ex-husband of Marjorie Harvey, published part of one of his tell-all memoir, “Snakes in the Garden,” last year, he did so with the motivation to share his life story as one of Memphis’ former drug kingpins but also to unveil parts of her past.
This fall, the second installment of his three-part series was released, renewing interest in his life with Marjorie and her new life with current husband Steve Harvey that she’s been blissfully enjoying for 18 years.
Townsend and his “Lady Heroin” are parents to daughter Morgan and son Jason. Marjorie welcomed well-known daughter Lori Harvey with her second husband, Donnell Woods, whom she married after divorcing Townsend as he served a life sentence for drug crimes. He was granted clemency 2017 after serving 27 years in prison.
Since his release, Townsend has accused his ex of dividing their family and straining his relationships with their grandchildren.
During a live chat with his YouTube followers in 2023, he claimed that the blended family unit she and Steve have presented to the world is a lie. The comic shares twin daughters Karli and Brandy and son Broderick with his first wife, Marcia Harvey, and son Wynton with ex-wife Mary Shackleford.
“I understand that she’s in a situation with this Steve Harvey character that she — I got to say it — she done sold her soul to the Devil evidently … because Marjorie and Steve Harvey y’all hypocrites. I mean hypocrisy to the pinnacle..they are hypocrites,” the two-time author explained. He would go on to state that Steve especially inspired him to pen his story.
Piping hot tea! 👀☕️ Marjorie Harvey's first husband and reformed drug dealer, Jim Townsend, is releasing a book entitled “Snakes in the Grass.” Townsend fathered two of Marjorie’s children. His cousin, Marjorie’s second husband, is the biological father of Lori Harvey. pic.twitter.com/rJjdqCllKQ
— All Tea All Shade (@TeaTimeTips2) August 15, 2023
Townsend continued, “My whole thing is to expose them as hypocrites, and most of the people that are wise enough know they are hypocrites. It goes all the way from the blended family thing, that was just for the camera. As you see, videos on how his kids are coming out exposing this hypocrisy. … Steve Harvey is a hypocrite. He should be the poster child for being hypocrite.”
The convicted felon renewed frustrations over the fact that the “Family Feud” host referred to him as “punk a— dad” to Jason when he was 13 years old. Despite being incarcerated, Marjorie’s first husband said he was never a “deadbeat.”
However, their co-parenting dynamic changed for the worse upon regaining his freedom.
“He kicked me when I was down, when I was in prison,” Townsend said. “Now it’s no hands barred. They kicked me when I was down by trying to deny me of having the special relationship I want with my grand baby. I don’t even have a relationship with Jason, my son, me and Marjorie son, because she done disrupted all of that.”
Morgan has one daughter named Elle, and Jason has three children. Marjorie has seldomly posted Elle but has several photos with her other grandchildren on social media. She has never publicly addressed familial drama, nor has she responded to her ex’s claims.
Townsend, on the other hand, has shared her perspective on the Harvey’s rumored marriage problems, saying in short, the couple deserves to be dragged through the mud.
