Who was André the Giant's wife? Get to know Jean Christensen

Who was André the Giant's wife? Get to know Jean Christensen

André the Giant was a legend in the wrestling world known for his immense size and dominance in the 1970s and '80s. Despite his fame, he kept most of his personal life private. Discover whether André the Giant was married and who his wife was.

Andre the Giant's wife
Wrestling legend André the Giant dated Jean Christensen (L), but they never tied the knot. Photo: Paul Natkin, @Tenacious Tyler (modified by author)
Source: UGC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

André the Giant never officially married but shared a connection with Jean Christensen, a former model and wrestling PR professional. Jean played a pivotal role in his life. We uncover more about Jean Christensen and her legacy.

André the Giant's wife's profile

Full nameJean Christensen
Date of birth15 August 1949
AgeDied at 74 (2008)
Place of birthMinnesota, United States of America
NationalityAmerican
EthnicityWhite
Height6 feet 4 inches or 193 centimetres
Weight196 pounds or 89 kilograms
Hair colourBrown
Eye colourDark brown
ParentsNels Peter and Paula
HusbandAndré the Giant
DaughterRobin
OccupationFormer model, WWE PR representative
Net worth$100,000

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Jean Christensen's biography

André the Giant's wife, Jean Christensen, was born on 15 August 1949 in Minnesota, United States of America, to Nels Peter and Paula Gantriis. She hails from Danish roots.

Jean ventured into modelling in the early 1970s before joining the wrestling world, where he would fall in love with one of the greatest wrestlers of the generation.

How did Jean Christensen and André the Giant meet?

The dynamic duo met in the early 1970s in their lines of duty. André was a wrestler, while Jean was a WWE PR representative. In an interview in the 1990s, Jean narrated her first encounter with the wrestler. She said,

There was no spark there believe it or not it was like oh he was really surprised to be given something and not have somebody ask something and return it was just somebody I'd run into and you know eventually yes there was that nod nod winky winky thing going on you know and and it was really nice.

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Who was Andre the Giants' wife?
Jean Christensen during one of her performances. Photo: @Scott's Wrestling Collection
Source: Original

Was Jean Christensen and André the Giant married?

The former model and her former WWE husband never tied the knot. However, they had a daughter named Robin Christensen-Roussimoff, a famous personality in the wrestling world.

Did André the Giant know his daughter?

After Robin was born in 1979, her father, the former French wrestler, did not acknowledge her as his daughter, leading to a paternity test. Jean said,

I found out I was pregnant I was told prior to is happening that he was sterile.

Doctors did DNA tests and confirmed Robin as André the Giant's daughter. Jean received an award of $750 for child upkeep from the former wrestler, which later increased to $1,000 a month.

The father and daughter reportedly had no great relationship because of his busy career and travelling. She would often meet her father in court and also met two to three times at arenas.

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Robin was born in Europe but grew up in Seattle with her mother. She inherited most of her father's wealth.

Did Andre the Giant know his daughter?
Robin Christensen, Andre's daughter, arrives at HBO's "Andre The Giant" premiere at the Cinerama Dome on 29 March 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Kevin Winternot
Source: Getty Images

Where is André the Giant's daughter today?

Robin briefly followed in her father's footsteps but could not fill his boots. She currently resides in Seattle, Washington, United States of America.

She was a consultant in producing her father's movie based on André the Giant: Closer to Heaven novel. In 2018, Robin appeared in the TV documentary André the Giant.

André the Giant's wife's death

Jean Christensen-Roussimoff, the former wrestling legend's wife, died in 2008 when she was 74. Her husband died on 26 January 1993 in Paris at 47 in his sleep due to heart failure.

What was Andre the Giant doing when he died?
Arnold Schwarzenegger (C), Andre the Giant (R), and Wilt Chamberlain (L) on the set of "Conan the Destroyer" in 1983. Photo: Rolf Konow/Sygma
Source: Getty Images

Jean Christensen's net worth

According to Cooper Magazine, Jean Christensen's net worth exceeded $100,000. She made most of her fortune as a model and a WWE PR professional.

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André the Giant was one of the highest-paid wrestlers in the 1970s and '80s. He was worth around $5 million at the time of his death in 1993, as per Celebrity Net Worth.

How much is André the Giant's daughter Robin worth today?

The famous WWE star's daughter, Robin Christensen-Roussimoff has a net worth of around $5 million - $10 million as of 2024.

Frequently asked questions

Despite having a relationship with the legendary wrestler, Jean Christensen did not live with him and opted to stay with their daughter in Seattle. André the Giant would occasionally visit them to see his child. Here are the frequently asked questions about Jean, André's wife.

  • Who was André the Giant's wife? The renowned WWE giant never married but had a relationship with Jean Christensen, a model and a WWE PR representative.
  • Did André the Giant have a family? He had a daughter, Robin Christensen-Roussimoff, with his lover, Jean Christensen.
  • What is Jean Christensen's height and weight? The renowned wife was 6 feet 4 inches or 193 centimetres tall and weighed 196 pounds or 89 kilograms. She has brown hair and dark brown eyes.
  • What was Jean Christensen's ethnicity? The renowned former wrestling PR representative was an American national of white ethnicity.
  • What was André the Giant doing when he died? The renowned wrestling giant went to Paris, France, in January 1993 after his father's death to be with his family. However, several days after the funeral, he passed away in his hotel room due to heart failure.

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Jean Christensen, André the Giant's wife, passed away at the age of 74 in 2008. The WWE couple's daughter, Robin has carried on the family's legacy.

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Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Helix Odhiambo avatar

Helix Odhiambo (Lifestyle writer) Helix Odhiambo is an award-winning Kenyan journalist and content creator with over 6 years of experience. He graduated with a Degree in Mass Comm & Journalism from Moi University in 2017. In 2016, he won the Goal Blaze Correspondent Award for young writers. He previously worked at Goal.com Kenya, Sportsbrief.com and Legit.ng. Helix joined Briefly in 2024 to cover sports. In 2023, Helix finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. Email: xileh10@gmail.com