Who was George Foreman’s first wife? The story of Adrienne Calhoun
George Foreman’s first wife, Adrienne Calhoun, was his earliest love story. The couple met on a blind date in 1970 and married the following year. Their marriage lasted three years and later went separate ways. Despite the split, Adrienne remarried and remained on good terms with Foreman. Here is a look at George Foreman’s ex-wife and his past dating history.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Adrienne Calhoun was George Foreman’s first wife.
- Their marriage ended in divorce in 1974 after George allegedly had an affair.
- They had one child together, Michi Foreman.
- After divorcing Adrienne, George Foreman married four more times before settling with Mary Joan Martelly in 1985.
George Foreman’s profile
| Full name | George Edward Foreman |
| Nickname | Big George |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 10 January 1949 |
| Age | 76 years old (as of March 2025) |
| Zodiac sign | Capricorn |
| Place of birth | Marshall, Texas, USA |
| Current residence | Houston, Texas, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Height | 6’3’’ (191 cm) |
| Weight | 260 lbs (118 kg) |
| Hair colour | Bald |
| Eye colour | Dark brown |
| Father | J.D. Foreman (stepfather) |
| Mother | Nancy Foreman |
| Siblings | 6 |
| Marital status | Married |
| Partner | Mary Joan Martelly |
| School | Jack Yates High School |
| Profession | Former professional boxer, entrepreneur, minister, author |
| Social media | InstagramFacebookX (Twitter) |
Meet George Foreman’s first wife, Adrienne
Adrienne Calhoun was an American celebrity wife, born in 1953 in the United States. Despite her ties to fame, she preferred a private life away from the limelight. Adrienne is best known as the first wife of George Foreman.
Adrienne Calhoun and George Foreman’s relationship
Adrienne and George Foreman first met on a blind date in 1970. In an interview with The Minnesota Star Tribune, Adrienne recalled their first encounter:
[We met] on a blind date, Aug. 29, 1970. A guy friend of mine came by my house and said, ‘This boxer George Foreman is in town, and we want somebody to kind of go out with him. You don’t have to do nothin’.’ I said, ‘Aw, OK.’ The boyfriend I had was a nobody.
After several meetings, the two started dating, and in 1971, less than a year later, they married.
Source: Original
What happened to Foreman and his first wife?
George and Adrienne’s marriage encountered difficulties when he was reportedly involved with Pamela Clay, which resulted in the birth of George Foreman Jr. This affair ultimately led to their divorce in 1974 after three years together.
Following their divorce, the American former professional boxer welcomed a daughter, Georgetta Foreman, in 1977 with his ex-girlfriend Charlotte Gross.
Adrienne later married Ben Jones. She stated that, despite past conflicts with George, they had remained true friends. In the aforementioned Minnesota Star Tribune interview, she mentioned that she often reached out to him for support when dealing with issues concerning their daughter.
Did George Foreman’s wife have a vision?
According to boxing legend George Foreman, his wife, Mary Joan Martelly, had a vision that he would become a heavyweight champion again, which he later achieved in 1994.
Source: Getty Images
In an interview with Movieguide, the boxer shared,
She had a vision. She dreamed, ‘You’re a heavyweight champion of the world again, and you got all the things you had lost before,’ and I kept faith in that dream…I crawled back home, and eventually, I became champion of the world.
How many wives did George Foreman have?
George Foreman has been married five times. After his divorce from Adrienne Calhoun, he had several short-lived marriages before settling with his current wife, Mary Joan Martelly. Here are details about his previous marriages.
Cynthia Lewis (1977–1979)
Following his divorce from Adrienne, George wed Cynthia Lewis, a former Miss Black Teenage America. At the time, Cynthia was 20 years old, making her eight years younger than Foreman.
Their marriage lasted two years before they divorced in 1979. According to Greensboro News and Record, Cynthia allegedly accused Foreman of physical and mental abuse, which led to their separation.
Sharon Goodson (1981–1982)
In 1981, Foreman married Sharon Goodson. Their marriage was the shortest, lasting less than a year. The couple separated in 1982 without having children.
Jennifer Andrea Skeete (1982–1985)
In 1982, Foreman married Jennifer Skeete, his fourth wife. They had two children, Freeda Foreman and George Foreman III. However, their marriage lasted only three years before they separated.
Mary Joan Martelly (1985–present)
Source: UGC
Following his divorce from Jennifer, George married Mary Joan Martelly in 1985. The couple dated for less than a year before tying the knot on 27 March 1985.
George and Mary have seven children, five biological and two adopted. Despite Foreman’s public status, he and his wife have maintained a relatively private family life.
Was George Foreman married to Paula?
George Foreman was never married to anyone named Paula. In the film Big George Foreman, Paula is a fictional character played by Shein Mompremier, representing Foreman’s first wife in the story.
Did Desmond lose Foreman’s money?
In Big George Foreman, Desmond is a fictional character based on multiple business managers. The film portrays him as mismanaging Foreman’s finances, contributing to his financial struggles.
FAQs
- Is George Foreman married? George Foreman is married to Mary Joan Martelly.
- Did George Foreman have kids with his first wife? George Foreman and Adrienne Calhoun had one child together, Michi Foreman.
George Foreman’s first wife, Adrienne Calhoun, played a significant role in his early life. Although their marriage was short-lived, they remained connected through their daughter.
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Source: Briefly News
