George Foreman’s wife was Mary Joan Martelly. They married in 1985 and remained married until Foreman’s death on March 21, 2025. A U.S. Senate memorial resolution described Martelly as his wife of 40 years.
Who is Mary Joan Martelly?
Mary Joan Martelly is best known publicly as George Foreman’s wife. Reliable sources about Foreman document their marriage and include a few comments from Martelly, but do not establish her birth date, birthplace, age, education, or a detailed independent career history. Those details are often repeated without strong sourcing, so they should not be treated as confirmed.
In a biography of Foreman, Biography.com reports that Martelly said she knew little about his boxing career when they met: “I didn’t know anything about George’s [boxing] career,” and “I’ve never seen him box before. I didn’t even know him as a boxer.” The account also says she supported his training when he returned to boxing in the late 1980s. Biography.com’s George Foreman biography was updated March 24, 2025.
When did George Foreman and Mary Joan Martelly marry?
Foreman and Martelly married in 1985. Their marriage lasted until Foreman died on March 21, 2025. The Senate memorial resolution, adopted and published April 10, 2025, described her as his wife of 40 years; that wording is consistent with the marriage date. The Senate resolution also records his death date.
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Was Mary Joan Martelly George Foreman’s fifth wife?
Yes. Martelly was Foreman’s fifth wife. The Handbook of Texas entry on George Foreman lists four earlier marriages:
| Wife | Marriage years listed by the Handbook of Texas |
|---|---|
| Adrienne Calhoun | 1971–1974 |
| Cynthia Lewis | 1977–1979 |
| Sharon Goodson | 1981–1982 |
| Andrea Skeete | 1982–1985 |
| Mary Joan Martelly | Married in 1985; marriage lasted until Foreman’s death in 2025 |
How many children did George Foreman have?
Foreman had 12 children in total, according to the Handbook of Texas. The Senate resolution says 11 children survived him and notes that his daughter Freeda had died before him. The figures refer to different points in time, rather than conflicting counts.
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What is known about Martelly’s public life?
The available reliable accounts provide limited detail about Martelly apart from her relationship with Foreman and her comment about his boxing career. Foreman’s community work, including the George Foreman Youth and Community Center, is documented in the Senate resolution and in Associated Press memorial coverage. Those sources do not establish Martelly’s individual role in specific charitable programs, so the work should not be attributed to her without further evidence.
For readers looking for more background on Foreman, the Handbook of Texas lists By George: The Autobiography of George Foreman, written with Joel Engel. It is Foreman’s autobiography, not a biography or memoir by Martelly.
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