Cheryl Pistono: Ex-girlfriend of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Who is Cheryl Pistono?
Cheryl Pistono is the ex-girlfriend of former American professional basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Cheryl Pistono is known for her humility, honesty, kindness, and passion for equality, justice, and women’s rights. She longed for happiness not just for herself but for everyone.
Cheryl is a dedicated Buddhist and is compassionate, brave, and has a wicked sense of humor. She has a loving heart and transforms lives in her presence.
Today, we will have a descriptive look at Cheryl Pistono. Her family, house, lifestyle, husband, and more.
Let us get into it.

Quick Facts
Full Name | Cheryl Pistono |
Nickname | Cheryl |
Birthday | September 9, 1956 |
Age | 66 years old |
Sun Sign | Virgo |
Traits | Positive Traits- Practical, Sensible, Loyal Negative Traits- Insecure, judgemental, Over-thinking |
Birthplace | LaSalle, Illinois, The United States of America |
Currently Residing | The United States of America |
Nationality | American |
Parents | John Joseph Pistono Jr (father) Sylvia Ann Waclaw (mother) |
Siblings | Kay Boehm (sister) John Pistono (brother) James Pistono (brother) Jeffrey Pistono (brother) |
Marital Status | Married |
Spouse | Steven Jenkins (husband) |
Children | Amir Abdul-Jabbar (son) Jesse Jenkins (daughter) Taaj Jenkins (son) Brianna Jenkins (daughter) |
Education | Graduated from UCLA |
Profession | Self-employed |
Net worth | USD 1 million |
Social media | Instagram |
Interesting Facts
- Cheryl is the ex-girlfriend of American professional basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
- She has helped world-famous chefs advance on the world stage, but cooking for her family makes her the happiest.
- She is not active on any social media platform except Facebook.
- She is a dedicated Buddhist.
- She is an avid animal lover. She has a dog named Miles and Bronson.
- She loved spending time in nature.
Early life and Childhood
Cheryl was born on September 9, 1956, in LaSalle, Illinois, in the United States of America. She is 66 years old as of 2023. Her Zodiac Sign is Virgo.

She attended LaSalle Peru Township High School for her studies and loved learning. She also loved fishing and hunting when she was a kid. Cheryl left her family when she was 16 years old. Cheryl then moved to West Coast and later graduated from UCLA.
Parents
Cheryl was born to very loving and well-settled parents in the US. She was born to her father, John Joseph Pistono Jr, and her mother, Sylvia Ann Waclaw. Cheryl is the first child of her parents. She has one sister, Kay Boehm, and three brothers, John Pistono, James Pistono, and Jeffrey Pistono. As the oldest child in her family, she cared for all her siblings. She played with them and loved them very dearly.
Relationship and Dating History
Cheryl Pistono was in a relationship with former basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. She first met Kareem in 1977. At first, Cheryl didn’t like Kareem. She was a decade younger than him and had zero interest in basketball.

She later talked about her first meeting with Kareem and stated,
“I cared so little about it because I never loved people who were in the gaming mindset, and despite everything else, clearly he was. He anticipated that it should fall on him. The ladies usually had it, but he gave me a rose from his nursery one occasion. He wasn’t joking, like damn! I thought, sweetheart, I must make this guy laugh. All he could imagine was not to hurt her.”
Kareem also spoke about Cheryl and mentioned how much she meant to him then. She was much more important than his colleague, mentor, and educator.
Kareem was not living with his wife, Habiba, due to their differences, but they were not divorced either. Instead, Kareem stated that Cheryl convinced him to legal separation.
The couple remained together till 1984, and they both had a son named Amir.

In the late 1980s, Kareem sued his previous business supervisor Thomas Collins.
Cheryl stated,
“There is certainly a lot of lying, a ton of duplicity. I used to ask, ‘Wait a second, what is this person (Collins) running away from this?’ Kareem never asked those kinds of questions. I did, and Tom Collins tried to prevent it.”
The couple broke up shortly after. Cheryl then married Steven Jenkins. She also said that she maintains a friendly relationship with her ex-boyfriend Kareem. She added,
“We have an extraordinary relationship because I don’t drag him down as the days go by and stuff. Doing that would lead to more problems. We made a deal as a result of our son. That was a higher priority than anything we didn’t like about each other”.
After Separation, Cheryl had custody of the child while Kareem provided monthly child support. Their son Amir Abdul-Jabbar is grown up and is a specialist in Orthopedic Surgery and Spine Surgery.
About Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an American professional basketball player. He is well-known for being the NBA’s most valuable player for the sixth time. Born as Lew Alcindor on April 19, 1947, in Harlem, New York, he changed to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after converting to the Islamic religion. He is seventy-five years old.

His mother, Cora Lillian, worked as a store price checker while his father, Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Sr, was a transit police officer and jazz musician. He is the only child of his parents. Kareem has been married and divorced once. He was married to Habiba Abdul-Jabbar in 1971 but got divorced in 1977.
Kareem then dated Cheryl Pistono in 1979. But the couple broke up after a while. He then dated Pam Grier in 1971. He was also linked with Heather Hunter.
As of 2023, he is single and is not romantically involved with anyone. He has five children altogether. The first three are from his first marriage with Habiba. One is from his former girlfriend Cheryl, and he has another son whose mother’s name is not disclosed yet.
Career
Cheryl has worked in law and accounting offices and has various skilled careers. She has accomplished in many areas, drive for equality and justice. Her Facebook says “self-employed.”
Social Media
Cheryl Pistono is not active on social media platforms except for Facebook and Instagram. But it looks like she has also been inactive there for many years. Her last update was on September 3, 2014. Unfortunately, there is only a post then after.

However, her ex-boyfriend is active on Instagram and has over a million followers. He has a verified account on Instagram and goes by username: @kareemabduljabbar_33.
Cheryl Pistono Net Worth
According to different sources, Cheryl Pistono Net Worth is around USD 1 million.
On the other hand, her ex-boyfriend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a net worth of USD 25 million.
FAQs
How old is Cheryl Pistono?
Born on September 9, 1956, in LaSalle, Illinois, USA, Cheryl Pistono is 66 years old.
How Much is Cheryl Pistono net worth?
Cheryl Pistono’s net worth is around USD 1 million approximately as of 2023.
Why is Cheryl Pistono famous?
Cheryl Pistono is notable for her relationship with her former boyfriend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
How many children does Cheryl Pistono have?
Cheryl Pistono has a son named Amir from ex-boyfriend Kareem and Jesse, Taaj, and Brianna from Steven.