Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler attending the Uncommon James VIP Grand Opening in Chicago, Illinois

Celebrity

The 5 Ugliest Divorces in NFL History

Here's a look five notable contenders for the most publicized and ugliest divorces and settlements involving current or retired NFL stars.

by Produced by Digital Editors

Published on November 18, 2022

3 min read

The sports world is filled with celebrities who often find themselves with a meteoric rise to fame and unbelievable salaries overnight. This life in the spotlight certainly comes with plenty of perks, but it also means that the harsh glare of the limelight is turned all the way up on their personal lives. Getting a divorce is rarely easy for anyone, but for these celebrity sports stars, the end of a marriage can turn particularly ugly. Here are five of the ugliest divorces in NFL history.

Michael Strahan and Jean Muggli

Michael Strahan joined the NFL in 1992 and played with the New York Giants for over a decade. He then made a leap that many other athletes have struggled to land and rode his wave of success on the field into a successful career on TV. After co-hosting Live! with Kelly and Michael, he joined Good Morning America.

In 1999, Strahan married Jean Muggli. The pair welcomed twin daughters in 2004, but things took a turn soon after. As The Things reports, Muggli publicly accused Strahan of being abusive as their separation made headlines, and Strahan put out public statements denying the accusations.

Reports circulated that “Muggli received $15.3 million from the couple’s divorce and Strahan agreed to pay her $18,000 a month in child support at that time.” The pair landed back in court (and in the headlines) in 2020 as they disputed a custody arrangement that ended with Muggli moving closer so Strahan could have more time with his children.

Herschel Walker and Cindy DeAngelis Grossman

NEW ad running in Georgia from Republican Accountability PAC.

This is the real Herschel Walker. pic.twitter.com/vErPuvOqNw
— The Republican Accountability Project (@AccountableGOP) August 8, 2022

It isn’t every day that your divorce is so ugly it becomes the subject of a political ad, but that’s the case for Herschel Walker. The former NFL star (who spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Giants) has found himself embroiled in multiple scandals as he continues to try for a contentious Georgia Senate seat as the Republican candidate.

Meanwhile, his political ambitions have put renewed attention on his former marriage to Cindy DeAngelis Grossman. As Yahoo reports, Grossman has even made a political ad discussing Walker’s physical threats, including holding a gun to her head and threatening to “blow [her] brains out.” As if that’s not enough, Walker also finds himself embattled with a scandal of being an absent father as another woman has come forward with accusations, as The Daily Beast reports.

Earl Thomas and Nina Thomas

Earl and Nina Thomas made headlines for a blowout fight that ended with Nina’s arrest for pointing a gun at her then-husband. Seven months later, TMZ reported that she filed for divorce, citing adultery as the cause.

The fallout was sprawling, and in early 2021, the pair was still making headlines for their explosive confrontations as the marriage imploded in the public eye. Game 7 reported, “A judge granted Nina’s request and ordered Earl to stay 400 feet away from her Austin, Texas home and their children’s schools.”

Johnny Manziel and Bre Tiesi

Former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel (who played for the Cleveland Browns) didn’t have quite the explosive end to his marriage as some of the people on this list. Still, it was certainly a high-profile affair — emphasis on the “affair” part.

Manziel was married to Bre Tiesi, but as TMZ reported, the pair finalized their divorce in late 2021. This came after Tiesi publicly accused Manziel of cheating, saying, “vows were broken.” The pair have mostly kept things civil, but they’ve also both moved on to some high-profile relationships. Tiesi dated Jennifer Lopez’s ex Casper Smart soon after her split from Manziel.

Jay Cutler and Kristin Cavallari

Former Chicago Bears star Jay Cutler put his marriage to Kristin Cavallari front and center in a reality TV show titled Very Cavallari. Fans were granted front-row seats to some of the couple’s ongoing problems as they tried to work through their marriage woes.

In the end, the pair announced they were going their separate ways amid their growing distance from one another. Without the added drama of reality TV, it might have been a relatively lowkey separation, but the voyeurism kept fans tuned in for every twist and turn.

How to get help: In the U.S., call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.