Steve Harvey- Complete biography with family pictures
Who is Steve Harvey?
Steve Harvey is an American television host, comedian, actor, broadcaster, author, game show host, and businessman. His real name is Broderick Stephen Harvey Sr.
Steve comes from a humble background. His father was a coal miner, and his mother was a housewife. He started his career as an insurance salesman; however, he would also participate in stand-up comedy.
His wit and hard work later made him a successful television host. Additionally, Harvey established Steve Harvey Global, an entertainment company, in 2017, which houses his production company and various other ventures.
Let’s read about the complete biography of Steve Harvey biography.
Quick facts
| Full Name | Broderick Stephen Harvey |
| Nick Name | Steve |
| Birthday | January 17, 1957 |
| Age | 66 years old |
| Sun sign | Capricorn |
| Traits | Positive– Motivated, ambitious, and a great leader Negative– Rude, impeccability, and moody |
| Birthplace | Welch, West Virginia, USA |
| Currently residing | Atlanta, GA, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Parents | Jesse Harvey, Eloise Vera |
| Grandparents | No information |
| Siblings | Terry Harvey, Mona Harvey, Pauline Harvey |
| Marital status | Married |
| Spouse | Marcia Harvey (1981-1994), Mary Lee Harvey (1996-2005), Marjorie Harvey (2007) |
| Children | Karli Harvey, Brandi Harvey, Broderick Harvey, Wynton Harvey, Morgan Harvey, Jason Harvey, Lori Harvey |
| Education | Glenville High School, Cleveland, OH Kent State University, Kent, OH West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV |
| Profession | Tv Personality and businessman |
| Net worth | USD 200 Million |
| Social media | Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye color | Dark Brown |
| Height | 6 ft 2 inches |
Childhood
Steve Harvey was born on January 17, 1957, in Welch, West Virginia, to Jesse Harvey and Eloise Vera. His real name is Broderick Stephen Harvey Sr. He is the youngest of the siblings.
His sun sign lies under Capricorn, as he was born on January 17. As a Capricorn, Steve is well known for his intelligence, discipline, and loyalty. Likewise, Harvey is also a social butterfly and an empathetic, warm-hearted person who is highly aware of others’ needs and support.
Related: Steve Harvey memes
His parents named him after Broderick Crawford, who starred in the Highway Patrol television series. Steve Harvey’s family had a tough time back then.
Steve’s family moved to Cleveland when he was little. In 1974, he graduated from Glenville High School. Later he attended Kent State University and then moved back to West Virginia to complete his further education at West Virginia University.
He was also a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
Harvey spent his early 20s working various jobs as an insurance salesman and postman. Then, in 1985, he performed stand-up comedy for the first time, which was well received by the audience. It made him discover his talent.
Steve weighs 196 lbs (88.9 kg) and stands 6′ 2″ inches (1.88 m) tall. He is famous for his signature bald head and has a pair of dark brown eyes.
Steve Harvey parents
Jesse Harvey, his father, was a coal miner, and his mother, Eloise Vera, was a homemaker.
Steve Harvey marriages
Marcia Harvey (First Wife)
Steve Harvey met his first wife, Marcia Harvey, at a mutual friend’s reception party. During that time, Steve was working as an insurance salesman. Marcia and Harvey hit it off immediately, and they married in 1980.
The couple share three children through marriage: twin daughters Karli and Brandi and son Broderick Harvey Jr.
Despite having a stable and growing family, both Steve and Marcia started experiencing instability in their marriage after Steve began his career and started getting recognized for being a famous comedian. Several people also criticized him for abandoning his wife and his children for his career and ambition.
The couple separated when Marcia was still pregnant with their third child in 1990. Steve and Marcia finalized their divorce in 1994 due to alleged infidelity, as Steve was already living with his second wife, Mary Lee Harvey, before divorcing Marcia.
Mary Lee Harvey (Second Wife)
Mary Lee, a professional makeup artist, is the second wife of Steve Harvey. Her relationship is no less than a romantic movie with all the drama, love, and tragedy.
With that relationship, Steve made her famous among the public, and the associated controversies heightened her fame and attracted millions of viewers from around the globe.
They first met in Arlington, Texas, when Steve was still performing as a standup comedian in 1989. Steve met Mary Lee just after his divorce from his first wife, Marica Harvey.
Fans and people close to Steve were stunned by Steve’s quick transition from a divorcee to a new relationship. Then, to make things even more exciting, Steve and Mary Lee got married within a year after dating for one year.
Steve Harvey and Mary Lee got married on 21 June 1996.
On July 18, 1997, they welcomed their first child. The couple got separated in 2005, shortly after their son’s birth. In 2011, Steve became the guardian of Wynton Harvey after gaining a legal custody order.
It was widely reported that Mary Lee and Steve Harvey separated due to various reasons.
Mary Lee accused Harvey not only of being unfaithful but also of abusing her physically and mentally. As Steve had a reputation to maintain, things got dangerous and worse for him.
Steve went to court to take legal action against Mary after hearing all the damaging and false allegations against him. However, this claim was false since no evidence supports her claim.
While Steve won possession of his son, Mary received the mansion and welfare payments, the latter of which lasted four years.
Marjorie Harvey (current Wife)
Steve married Marjorie on June 25th, 2007, after dating her for two years.
Steve and his wife, Marjorie Elaine Harvey, first met fifteen years before their marriage. They met in 1990 at a comedy club in Memphis, Tennessee, when they first fell in love. Marjorie was there to watch Steve’s performance, and Steve was there to perform for his audience.
Steve had an intense crush on this beauty when he first saw her. Marjorie’s seat was in the front row, but she arrived late.
Suddenly, he went from being annoyed with her about being late to something romantic. Despite his fear of rejection, Steve even stood up and walked up to her, talking to her.
Since Steve considers himself an expert in manhood, it would not be unreasonable for him to say some flirtatious words. He revealed in an interview how he first spoke with Marjorie.
He said,
“The first time I saw my wife, Marjorie, I was doing stand-up in Memphis, and she was sitting in the front row. Afterward, I walked up and said, ‘Ma’am, I’m going to marry you one day.’ And 15 years later, I did.”
According to Steve, Marjorie and Steve are two happy people living together. They share their days and their experiences, hold each other and support each other.
Steve believes Marjorie to be the great partner he has been looking for his entire life.
It is pretty common to see them traveling together to different places. Many people spot them on their yachts during festive periods and on holidays. Despite being split as individuals into several levels, Steve and Marjorie are now a strong couple.
Marjorie also had two failed marriages before she met Steve.
Her former husband, Jim Townsend, was a drug dealer in Memphis.
After being arrested and sentenced to life in prison, Jim Townsend served 26 years before being pardoned. As a result, Marjorie hasn’t spoken to him in over eight years.
Darnell Woods, her second husband, was also prominent in the drug trade. It has been rumored that Darnell is a cousin to her first husband. Moreover, Darnell and his twin brother were imprisoned for the supply of marijuana and cocaine from Houston to Memphis.
Related: Steve Harvey wives
Steve Harvey children
Through his three marriages, Steve Harvey has created a beautiful blended family. He shares two twin daughters, Brandi, Karli, and Broderick Harvey, with Marcia Harvey. He has a son named Wynton Harvey through his second marriage with Mary Lee Harvey.
Likewise, after marrying Marjorie in 2007, he adopted all three of her children- Morgan, Lori, and Jason Harvey. Thus, through his marriage with Marjorie, the pair became a family of nine.
All seven of Steve’s children are ambitious and driven, just like their father. For example, one of his twin daughters, Brandi Harvey, is the founder of a website called Beyond Her. The company’s online meal prep website brings active wellness to women of color in collaborative and transformative ways to elevate their minds, body, and spirit.
Likewise, Steve’s second twin daughter Karli Harvey is a public speaker who works as a mentor through the Harvey and Marjorie Foundation. On the other hand, Harvey’s son, Broderick Harvey, owns a clothing line called Need Money Not Friends.
Similarly, Steve’s son, Wynton Harvey, is an aspiring photographer who often shares his work with high-profile celebrities on his social media.
Steve’s adopted children, through Marjorie Harvey, are equally talented as his biological children. Marjorie’s elder daughter Morgan is a pastry chef with a baking and pastry degree from the Culinary Institute of America. Their other son Jason is the owner of a women’s luxury footwear company called Yevrah which, when spelled backward, is Harvey.
Finally, Steve and Marjorie’s youngest daughter Lori Harvey is a well-known model in famous magazines like Vogue. Furthermore, Lori has previously also walked for Dolce and Gabbana for their Fall 2017 fashion week.
Steve Harvey career
As mentioned above, before discovering his talent as a comedian, Steve Harvey spent most of his early 20s working several jobs, as an insurance salesman, postman, and even a wannabe professional boxer. However, he found his real passion while performing stand-up comedy on stage for the first time in 1985.
At the initial stage, Harvey performed in small clubs for several years. His career finally started when he made it to the Second Annual Johnnie Walker National Comedy Search finals in 1989.
After the competition, Steve’s career took off, and he slowly started to get the recognition he deserves. In 1993, he was given the host for the ‘Showtime at the Apollo,’ a variety show filmed at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater. He worked at the theater for the show until 2000.
Since his hosting duties in ‘Showtime at the Apollo,’ Steve also got offered his sitcom, ‘The Steve Harvey Show,’ in the WB network in 1996. The show gained several following, mainly from African American audiences, and stayed on the air until 2002.
Around 1999, Harvey also went on The Kings of a Comedy tour with Cedric the Entertainer, Bernie Man, and D.L. Hughley. The Kings Comedy gained the highest-grossing comedy tour status ever to date in the United States in 1999. According to sources, Harvey and his three sidekicks could rake in more than USD 19 million from the tour.
However, hosting shows and conducting tours was just the beginning of Steve’s career, as, by 2000, he launched his own daily talk radio show called The Steve Harvey Morning Show. Harvey became a prominent radio personality through the show as it gained national syndication and even on several stations across the country.
Steve also hosted a short-lived reality show contest called Steve Harvey’s Big Time; the show aired through WB from 2003-2005.
Apart from hosting for shows, Steve also played a minor role in 2003 in the movie The Fighting Temptations. After the movie, he later went on to play larger supporting parts in movies like You Got Served (2004), Johnson Family Vacation (2004), and as a voice actor for an animated movie called Racing Stripes (2005).
Currently, Steve is hosting a popular game show called Family Feud in 2010m where he replaces John O’Hurley. Family Feud is a game show where two families compete to name the most popular questions to win attractive cash and prizes.
Steve also launched another daytime talk show called Steve Harvey in 2012. The show did quite well among the audience leading it to win awards like Daytime Emmy Awards and an NAACP Image Awards.
In 2017 Harvey ended the Steve Harvey show and hosted another new talk show, Steve, where he focused more on celebrity guests than talking about human interest stories like on his previous shows.
Steve has also hosted the Miss Universe pageant in 2015, 2017, and 2018. Likewise, he also hosted a children’s program called Little Big Shots from 2016-2019. After hosting the show for three years, three was replaced by Melissa McCarthy as a host.
Apart from hosting shows and acting in movies, Steve Harvey has also written several books. His book’s themes were mainly related to relationship advice, including Harvey’s blunt, comedic approach to self-help. His books, like Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man (2009), and its follow-up, Straight Talk, No Chaser (2010), also made the bestseller list.
The movie Think Like a Man, released in 2012, is based on Harvey’s book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.
Awards and achievements
| Year | Category | Title | Role | Award |
| 1993-2000 | TV Show | Showtime at the Apollo | Host | NAACP Image Awards– Outstanding Performance in a Variety Series/Special (200) |
| 1994-1995 | TV Series | Me and the boys | Steve Tower | |
| 1996-2002 | TV Show | The Steve Harvey Show | Steve Hightower and producer | NAACP Image Awards– Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series- Nominee (1998) NAACP Image Awards– Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series- Winner (1999) NAACP Image Awards– Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series (2000, 2001, 2002) NAACP Image Awards– Outstanding Host in a News, Talk, Reality, or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble- Nominee (2017) |
| 2001 | TV Series (Animated) | The Proud Family | The Credit Card (voice) | |
| 2002 and 2003 | TV Show | Essence Awards | Host | |
| 2002 | TV Series | My Wife and Kids | Steve (Featured in the episode “Jay the Artist”) | |
| 2003 | TV Series | The Parkers | Mr. Barnes Steve (Featured in the episode “The Hold Up”) | |
| 2003-2005 | TV Show | Steve Harvey’s Big Time Challenge | Host and executive producer | |
| 2004 and 2005 | TV Show | BET Comedy Awards | Host | |
| 2010 | TV Show | Who wants to be a millionaire | Guest host | |
| 2010- present | TV Show | Family Feud | Host | Daytime Emmy Award– Outstanding Game Show Host- Nominee (2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2021) Daytime Emmy Award– Outstanding Game Show Host- (2014 and 2017) NAACP Image Award-Outstanding Host in a Talk, Reality, News/Information or Variety Series (Series or Special)- (2016) NAACP Image Award– Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (2018 and 2020) |
| 2012 | TV Show | Praise the Lord | Guest host | |
| 2012-2017 | TV Show | Steve Harvey | Host and executive producer | NAACP Image Award– Outstanding Host in a Talk, Reality, News/Information or Variety Series (2015) NAACP Image Award– Outstanding Host in a Talk, Reality, News/Information or Variety Series- Nominee (2017) Daytime Emmy Award-Outstanding Talk Show/Informative (2014, 2015, and 2020) Daytime Emmy Award-Outstanding Talk Show Host – Nominee (2013, 2014, and 2020) Daytime Emmy Award-Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host- Nominee- (2015, 2016) Daytime Emmy Award-Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host- (2017, 2018) Legionnaires of Laughter Legacy Awards– Best Children’s Comedy Artist Male- Nominee (2018) |
| 2013 | TV Show | NAACP Image Awards | Host | |
| 2015 | TV Series | Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee | Himself | |
| 2015 (still running) | TV Show | Celebrity Family Feud | Host and executive producer | NAACP Image Award– Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble (2020 and 2019) |
| 2015-2019 | TV Show | Miss Universe | Host | |
| 2016-2018 | TV Series | Little Big Shots | Host, creator, and executive producer | Primetime Emmy Awards– Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program (2016) Legionnaires of Laughter Legacy Awards– Best Children’s Comedy Artist Male- Nominee (2018) MovieGuide Awards– Grace Award for Television- Nominee (2018) |
| 2017 | TV Show | Steve Harvey’s Funderdome | Host | |
| 2017 | TV Series | Little Big Shots: Forever Young | Host and executive producer | |
| 2017-2019 | TV Show | Steve | Host and executive producer | Daytime Emmy Award-Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host- (2018) Daytime Emmy Award-Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host- Nominee- (2019) |
| 2019-2021 | TV Show | NFL Honors | Host | |
| 2019-2020 | TV Show | WWE Network Special | Special guest | |
| 2020 | TV Show | Family Feud | Host | |
| 2020- Still running | TV Show | Steve on Watch | Host and executive producer |
Other awards
- BET Awards– Humanitarian Award (2011)
- People’s Choice Awards, USA– Favorite New Talk Show Host (2013)
- People’s Choice Awards, USA– Favorite Daytime TV Host (2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017)
- Walk of Fame– Radio (2013)
Steve Harvey net worth
Today, Steve Harvey’s net worth stands at USD 200 million. He was able to earn such an amount by hosting several shows, doing stand-up comedies, acting in movies, and even authoring books.
According to various sources, Steve earned USD 45 million from 2017-2018 and 2018-2019. Likewise, he earns at least USD 10 million from his hosting duties from Family Feud each year and another USD 20 million from his radio hosting shows.
Controversies
In 2015, while hosting Miss Universe in Los Angeles, Steve Harvey made a significant blunder while announcing the pageant’s winner. Harvey had mistakenly announced the winner’s wrong person before correcting himself and declaring Miss Philippines as the winner.
In 2017, Harvey made jokes on his show Steve Harvey about Asian men. For example, he said,
“Excuse me, do you like Asian men? No, thank you. I don’t even like Chinese food.”
His comments had gathered several criticisms where many called him a hypocrite for speaking about issues facing the black community while degrading Asians.
Social Media
Steve Harvey owns an Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. His Instagram is under the username @iamsteveharveytv. Harvey has six million-plus followers in his Instagram account, where he mainly posts clips of him hosting shows.
View this post on Instagram
Likewise, Harvey’s Facebook has about twenty-three million followers. Most of his post on his Facebook account is also like his Instagram posts.
On the other hand, Steve’s Twitter is under the username IAmSteveHarvey, where he has more than four million-plus followers. Steve posts motivational tweets to his fans and his show’s clips on his Twitter account.
