Who is Mary Joan Martelly? Everything we know about George Foreman's wife

Who is Mary Joan Martelly? Everything we know about George Foreman's wife

George Edward Foreman is an American former professional boxer, entrepreneur, minister, and author. He competed in boxing between 1967 and 1997, winning the world heavyweight title twice and an Olympic gold. But aside from his fame and profession, what do you know about his wife, Mary Joan Martelly?

Mary Joan Martelly, husband George with friends (L); Joan poses with her grandchildren (R)
Mary Joan Martelly and her husband, George Foreman, are with friends (L) and Joan with her granddaughter (R). Photo: @GeorgeForeman, @georgetta.foreman on Facebook (modified by author)
Source: UGC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Mary Joan Martelly has largely shunned the spotlight over the years. She has stood quietly but firmly behind the scenes, supporting her husband every step of the way. Her story is of faith, love, resilience, and unwavering commitment to her family and community.

Mary Joan Martelly's profile summary

Full nameMary Joan Foreman (née Martelly)
GenderFemale
Born10 February
Place of birthMon Repos, St Lucia
Current residenceHouston, Texas, United States
NationalitySaint Lucian-American
EthnicityMixed
ReligionChristianity
SexualityStraight
Height in feet5'6"
Height in centimetres168
Hair colourBlack
Eye colourDark brown
SiblingsSeven
Marital statusMarried
HusbandGeorge Foreman
ChildrenFive
ProfessionBusinesswoman, philanthropist
Facebook@Mary Foreman

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Mary Joan Martelly's biography

Mary Joan Foreman (née Martelly) was born in Mon Repos, in the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. She is the third girl in a family of eight children (six girls and two boys). Their father died at the age of forty-four.

What is Mary Joan Martelly's nationality? She has dual citizenship (Saint Lucian and American), having been born in Santa Lucia and through marriage to her American husband, George Foreman.

Mary had her education locally in Mon Repos, where she excelled in sports. Speaking during an interview with UHLC in 2014, which honoured her with an Arrival Award for outstanding immigrants, she said,

I loved sports in school. The school was fun as you grew up with the same children from kindergarten to high school. So everyone knew everyone.

Career

Fast facts about Mary Joan Martelly.
Top-5 facts about Mary Joan Martelly. Photo: @GeorgeForeman on Facebook (modified by author)
Source: Original

After finishing her studies, Joan started working at a Chinese restaurant in Mon Repos. She worked there for a while before landing another job at a clothing factory.

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Meeting George Foreman

According to her interview with UHLC, Mary met George through a babysitting job. She was allowed to go to the United States on a temporary visa to testify for George in a custody dispute. However, after the trial, George confided in her. Mary revealed during her interview,

So by the time my six months came, he was in love. He was like, 'You can't go back'. And we were going to the movies, he was like 'let's go to the movies', and he said 'I will be right back' and he came back with a little ring, you could barely see the diamond, and he's like 'can you marry me?' and I didn't know what to say, but then I was like okay yes.

She continued,

He was a nice guy. I mean he remind me of my dad, you know really kind; a family person. He loves his mom and you know I was like 'you can't do better than that.

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They eventually married in 1985 and have been together ever since.

Mary Joan Martelly's children

Mary Joan Martelly and George Foreman have five children: Leola, Natalie, George IV, George V, and George VI1. Mary also has three stepdaughters (Michi, Freeda, and Georgetta) and two stepsons (George Jr. and George III) from George's previous marriages. The couple adopted two children: Isabella Brandie Lilja (Foreman) in 2009 and Courtney Isaac (Foreman) in 2012.

Is Mary Joan Martelly George Foreman's first wife?

Mary Joan Martelly is not George Foreman's first wife but his fifth. His first marriage was to Adrienne Calhoun (1971–1974), then to Cynthia Lewis (1977–1979), third was Sharon Goodson (1981–1982), fourth was Andrea Skeete (1982–1985), and his fifth was Mary Joan Martelly (1985–Present).

FAQs

  1. What is Mary Joan Martelly's age? There are conflicting reports online about her age, with some sites citing her birth as 17 May 1963 while others report it as 1955. However, no evidence can support these claims.
  2. When was Mary Joan Martelly born? Her Facebook shows she received birthday messages from 10 to 12 February. However, she only 'liked' one from Lera James, dated 10 February.
  3. Is George Foreman still married to his wife? George is still married to his fifth wife, Mary Joan Martelly. They have been married since March 1985.
  4. Who is George Foreman's first wife? The famous boxer's first wife was Adrienne Calhoun. They were married from 1971 to 1974.
  5. Is George Foreman still a preacher? George Foreman became an ordained minister in 1978 and has been preaching at The Church of The Lord Jesus Christ in Houston, Texas, since 1980.
  6. How many times did Ali fight Foreman? Muhammad Ali and George Foreman fought just once, in a fight popularly known as "The Rumble in the Jungle".
  7. Who won the fight between Ali and Foreman? Muhammad Ali won the fight against George Foreman, which took place on 30 October 1974, in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). Ali won by knockout in the eighth round.

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Mary Joan Martelly is well-known as a celebrity wife. Her husband is George Foreman, an American former professional boxer, entrepreneur, minister, and author. Their marriage has inspired many.

Yen.com.gh published an informative article about Princess Charlene. Princess Charlene is the Princess of Monaco and the wife of Monaco's reigning monarch, Prince Albert II. Before joining the royal family, she was an Olympian swimmer representing South Africa.

Princess Charlene's life story reads like a fairy tale. However, despite many being familiar with her story, most have yet to learn about her biography. For instance, where was Princess Charlene of Monaco born?

Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Chris Ndetei avatar

Chris Ndetei (Lifestyle writer) Christopher Ndetei is a junior reporter writer who joined the Yen team in May 2021. He graduated from the Machakos Technical College in 2009 with a diploma in ICT. Chris has over two years of experience in content creation and more than ten working in the hospitality industry. He covers lifestyle/entertainment, focusing on biographies, life hacks, gaming and guides. In 2023, Christopher finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach him at chrisndetei@gmail.com