Jeff Gordon is a married man who has been married twice in his life. He is currently enjoying life to the fullest with his second wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, and their two children.
However, his first marriage to Brooke Sealy was not all roses. Their eight-year marriage ended in divorce. Gordon and Sealy battled for a divorce settlement in court. And while rumors circulated that the divorce settlement cost him $15 million, the reality appears to be quite different.
Jeff Gordon Wiki
Jeff Gordon is an American stock car driver who started racing at the age of five on a rudimentary racetrack. Racing came naturally to him as a result of his desire to be the best at everything he attempted from a young age, and he embraced this gift with great zeal.
He is best known as a four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and a four-time Brickyard 400 winner. Jeff Gordon is the epitome of determination, hard work, and years of experience and has amassed an unrivaled list of victories. The young man from California, who had dreams of making it big in life, jumped behind the wheel, and his competitive spirit quickly ignited.
The Marriage of Jeff Gordon and His First Wife, Brooke Sealy
Gordon met his first wife on the job. Sealy, a Miss Winston Cup model, was first seen by the NASCAR driver in 1993, following a race in the Daytona 500.
For the driver and his ex-wife, things moved quickly, but they kept their relationship secret for a time. This was due to an unspoken rule prohibiting drivers from dating Winston models. He proposed to her in 1994, and they married the following year. For four years, the former couple resided in Huntersville, North Carolina. They relocated to Highland Beach, Florida, in 1998 and remained there until their divorce.
What contributed to their relationship’s demise? Gordon’s alleged unfaithfulness
Gordon’s now-ex-wife filed for divorce from him in March 2002 in response to these reports. She cited “marital infidelity” as her justification.
Sealy requested several items during the divorce, including their Florida Mansion, which was valued at $10.2 million at the time, alimony, two cars, and permission to use their boats and airplane.
Additionally, she demanded that he pay the wages of their housekeepers and other household staff.
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Jeff Gordon’s Divorce Ended Up Costing Him Over $15 Million.
Gordon countersued Sealy, claiming that he risked his life to earn money and should not be required to split the assets equally.
However, Florida law at the time required that assets acquired during the marriage be divided equally between the spouses.
According to reports, the court ruled in her favor, and she walked away with $15 million from the divorce. Or so it was believed. However, in his biography, Jeff Gordon: His Dream, Drive, and Destiny, Gordon revealed details that essentially refuted these reports.
The NASCAR veteran went into great detail about his divorce from his first wife. He revealed in the book that the divorce, which had been reported to have cost him around $15 million up to that point, was far from the truth. In reality, he wrote, the settlement was “way more than double that.” This means Gordon, who had a reported net worth of around $48.5 million at the time, paid his ex-wife an estimated $30 million.
Jeff Gordon’s Post-Divorce Life with His First Wife
Gordon met his current wife, Belgian model Vandebosch, in 2002. However, they did not immediately reunite. Gordon and Vandebosch met in 2004. They announced their engagement two years later, in May 2006. Then, on November 7, that same year, they married.
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The couple has two children. Ella Sofia, their first child, was born on June 20, 2007. Their son, Leo Benjamin, was the next to arrive. On August 9, 2010, he arrived. Both of his children appear to be following their father’s lead. They are already competing in go-kart races.
