When Steve Harvey cracks a joke on Family Feud, audiences erupt with laughter. When he delivers a motivational speech, millions lean in, eager for advice. But behind the polished suits, bestseller lists, and TV ratings is a man whose personal life has been shaped by struggle, reinvention—and a divorce that refuses to stay buried.

Today, at 68, Harvey enjoys global fame and a celebrated marriage to Marjorie Harvey. Yet his second ex-wife, Mary Shackleford, has reemerged at 64 with raw claims that reopen one of the darkest chapters of his past. Her words are a reminder that even for America’s comedy king, success has never come without shadows.

From Stuttering Boy to Star

Born Broderick Steven Harvey in 1957 in Welch, West Virginia, Harvey was the youngest of five children and the son of a coal miner. His childhood was marked by poverty—and by a stutter that turned everyday words into battles.

But even as a boy, Harvey dreamed big. In sixth grade, he wrote down his goal: I want to be on TV. His teacher mocked him, calling it arrogance. His father, Jesse, did not. Years later, Harvey famously sent that teacher a television every Christmas until she passed away.

From the streets of Cleveland to a college dropout at Kent State, Harvey’s path looked ordinary. But in 1985, he picked up a microphone at Hilarity’s Comedy Club, and everything changed.

Comedy—and Homelessness

Comedy gave Harvey a voice, but the cost was brutal. By the late ’80s, he was homeless for three years, living out of a battered 1976 Ford. He washed up in public pools, napped in parking lots, and prayed for gigs that came with hotel rooms.

What kept him afloat were acts of kindness, like Rich and Becky Liss giving him carpet-cleaning contracts and travel credit. Those lifelines bought him enough time to land a spot on Showtime at the Apollo and later The Steve Harvey Show, cementing his place in American households.

By the late 1990s, Harvey was not just another comic. With The Kings of Comedy tour grossing nearly $40 million, he had become one of the most bankable entertainers in America.

The Empire Builder

From radio (The Steve Harvey Morning Show) to books (Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man), Harvey transformed into more than a comedian—he was a brand. When he took over Family Feud in 2010, the show’s ratings doubled, turning a fading format into a cultural staple.

He reinvented himself again as a motivational speaker. His 2016 viral speech about “jumping into your gift” inspired millions and became a book. His empire spanned radio, film, pageants, and TV courtrooms.

But as Harvey himself admits, reinvention doesn’t erase the mess—it only buries it for a while.

Marriages, Missteps, and Mary

Harvey’s personal life has been anything but picture perfect. His first marriage to Marcia Harvey ended in 1994. Two years later, he wed Mary Shackleford. For a time, they lived the life of fame, travel, and fortune. But by 2005, it collapsed in a storm of accusations, lawsuits, and heartbreak.

Harvey later revealed on Club Shay Shay that the divorce nearly ruined him. He said a trusted advisor had stolen his tax funds, leaving him with a seven-year IRS bill. When Mary left, he claimed, she took much of what remained. “I went from millions to $1,700 to my name,” Harvey admitted.

Mary, however, tells a very different story.

Mary Breaks Her Silence

Now 64, Shackleford has resurfaced, giving interviews filled with pain and fire. She accuses Harvey of betrayal, infidelity, and stripping her of the life she once lived. She insists his marriage to Marjorie was built not on new beginnings but on broken vows that started during their own union.

“I was left with scars that never healed,” she said. She claims she lost not only her wealth but also custody of their son, Winton—a loss she still describes as devastating. Court records confirm Harvey won custody after a bitter battle in which Mary struggled without comparable legal resources.

She recalls being evicted from her home and feeling erased from the glamorous world she once inhabited. “The designers stopped calling, the friends stopped inviting, and I was left to fight alone,” she said.

Legally, Mary did receive support: three homes, $40,000 a month until 2009, and a one-time $1.9 million payout. Yet she argues this was a fraction of what she deserved for standing by Harvey during his rise. “Half of everything he and Marjorie built should be mine,” she insists.

A Battle of Images

Harvey has rarely engaged directly with Mary’s claims, though court rulings have repeatedly dismissed or restricted them. In 2011, she was even jailed for contempt after violating a gag order. Judges admonished her for false statements, though she maintains her perspective has never been heard in full.

Observers note that Mary’s tone today feels less like bitterness and more like a plea for recognition. “She doesn’t want silence,” said one analyst. “She wants her story validated.”

Her call is simple: justice, acknowledgement, and—perhaps most strikingly—a phone call. She says she longs for Steve and Marjorie to recognize her pain, though she admits that reconciliation may never come.

Scandals That Wouldn’t Stay Buried

Mary’s reemergence is not Harvey’s only shadow. Over the years, he’s faced backlash for tone-deaf remarks, lawsuits over luxury spending, and his controversial defense of mentors like Bill Cosby. And who can forget the infamous Miss Universe blunder, when Harvey crowned the wrong winner live on TV?

Each time, Harvey has survived, reinvented, and even thrived. But critics argue that the cracks remain visible: a man preaching family values and faith while haunted by accusations of betrayal and extravagance.

The Man and the Myth

Today, Harvey’s empire continues: Family Feud, Judge Steve Harvey, his radio show, and global speaking tours. On social media, he and Marjorie share glamorous vacations, fashion reels, and blended-family milestones.

Yet Mary’s voice lingers in the background—a reminder that for all the laughter Harvey creates, his personal life remains contested territory.

The truth likely lives somewhere between Harvey’s reinvention and Mary’s raw pain. What is undeniable is that their story continues to grip fans who see Harvey not just as a TV host, but as a man whose rise, fall, and rebirth mirrors the messiness of real life.

The Final Act?

For now, Harvey stands tall, smiling in tailored suits, adored by millions. But Mary’s return to the spotlight raises a question his empire cannot answer: can a man who built his career on telling others how to love and live ever escape the unfinished business of his own past?

Perhaps that’s the paradox of Steve Harvey. He has taught audiences how to laugh through pain, how to leap into dreams, and how to survive setbacks. But the divorce that nearly broke him—and the ex-wife who refuses to be erased—prove that even the kings of comedy carry ghosts that don’t fade.