Mary Lee Harvey is an American former makeup artist best known as the ex-wife of comedian, actor, and television host Steve Harvey.
Her nine-year marriage to Steve Harvey, which ended in a heavily publicized divorce in 2005, drew wide media attention and led to years of legal battles.
Who is Mary Lee Harvey?
Mary Lee Harvey, born Mary Lee Shackelford, grew up in Arlington, Texas, and worked as a makeup artist before her marriage to Steve Harvey brought her into the public eye.
She is the mother of Wynton Harvey, her only child with Steve. Their divorce in 2005 sparked a prolonged and very public legal dispute.
Mary spoke out against Steve in a series of YouTube videos, leading to multiple gag orders and a contempt of court arrest in 2013.
Since the legal battles faded, she has kept a low profile and stepped away from media attention almost entirely.
Mary Lee Harvey and Steve Harvey’s Marriage
Mary Lee Harvey married Steve Harvey on July 28, 1996. She met him in 1989 in Arlington, Texas, while he was still working as a standup comedian.
Their relationship developed quickly, and they married within a few years.
Steve was coming off the heels of his divorce from his first wife, Marcia Harvey, when the two became a couple.
During their marriage, Mary supported his career as it moved from stand-up comedy into television and film.
The couple had one son, Wynton Harvey, born on July 18, 1997. Their marriage lasted nine years before ending in divorce in 2005.
Early Life of Mary Lee Harvey
Mary Lee Harvey was born on October 20, 1960, in Arlington, Texas, USA. She grew up in a family with several siblings. Her father was Leonardo Vaughan Sr.
She had four sisters named Ruth Vaughan Littrell, Lois Vaughn Glover, Nancy, and Esther, and one brother named Jerry Vaughn.
She also has a half-sister named JoAnn Williams and a half-brother named Leonardo Vaughn Jr.
Details about her mother’s identity are not publicly confirmed. Mary spent her formative years in the Arlington, Texas area, which is also where she first crossed paths with Steve Harvey.
Before her marriage to Steve, she built a career as a makeup artist. That profession brought her into the entertainment world and eventually into Steve’s orbit.
Mary Lee Harvey Age / Birthday
Mary Lee Harvey is 65 years old as of 2026, born on October 20, 1960. Her zodiac sign is Libra, a sign often linked with balance and a strong sense of fairness.
Since her divorce from Steve Harvey and the subsequent legal disputes, she has largely stayed out of the public spotlight.
Mary Lee Harvey Ethnicity and Nationality
Mary Lee Harvey holds American nationality. She was born and raised in Texas, USA. Several sources list her ethnic background as African-American.
Mary Lee Harvey Height and Weight
Mary Lee Harvey stands at approximately 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m) tall. Her weight is not publicly confirmed.
She has a lean build based on her public appearances during and after her marriage.
Mary Lee Harvey Career
Mary Lee Harvey’s professional life has been relatively private, with limited public documentation compared to her high-profile personal life.
Makeup Artist Work
Before her marriage to Steve Harvey, Mary worked as a makeup artist. The average annual salary for a makeup artist in the United States sits around $60,900, and the profession gave her a foothold in the creative and entertainment industries.
Whether she returned to makeup artistry after her divorce from Steve in 2005 is not publicly confirmed.
She stepped into public view primarily through her marriage to one of America’s most recognizable television personalities.
Business After Divorce
Following her divorce, Mary Lee Harvey also became associated with a cosmetics line called Mary Lee Cosmetics, which she reportedly owns. The full scope and current status of the business are not publicly confirmed.
She received three residential properties as part of her divorce settlement from Steve, plus a monthly payment of $40,000 from Steve through March 2009, along with an additional $1.5 million settlement.
A 2011 court ruling confirmed those terms and refuted her public claims that she had been left homeless.
Mary Lee Harvey Divorce and Legal Battles
Mary Lee Harvey and Steve Harvey divorced in 2005 after nine years of marriage. Steve won primary custody of their son Wynton. The divorce case was placed under seal and a gag order.
In 2011, Mary went public with a series of YouTube videos in which she accused Steve of leaving her homeless, cheating on her with Marjorie Bridges, and manipulating their son.
A judge reviewed those claims and found them to be unsupported. The court document confirmed that Mary had received three homes, monthly payments of $40,000 through March 2009, and an additional $1.5 million.
The judge also found that Steve had not turned Wynton against Mary and that Marjorie Bridges had not been a factor in the divorce.
The court issued a gag order preventing Mary from discussing the divorce publicly.
In December 2013, a judge held Mary in contempt of court for leaking sealed documents and making further public statements about the case in violation of prior injunctions issued in 2008, 2011, and early 2013.
She served 30 days in jail in Collin County, Texas. Speaking from jail, she told Fox 4 Dallas that she believed she had not violated the court orders and described herself as a mother who simply wanted access to her son.
The court also ordered her to pay Steve Harvey $60,000 as a result of the legal proceedings.
Mary Lee Harvey Children
Mary Lee Harvey has one child, a son named Wynton Harvey, born on July 18, 1997. Steve Harvey won primary custody of Wynton following the divorce.
Mary has spoken publicly about missing years of her son’s life as a result of the custody outcome.
Wynton Harvey has since grown up and maintained a relationship with his father. He has appeared in videos on Steve Harvey’s YouTube channel.
Mary Lee Harvey Net Worth
Mary Lee Harvey’s estimated net worth is $500,000 as of 2026. Her income came primarily from her work as a makeup artist and from her divorce settlement with Steve Harvey.
As part of the divorce, she received three residential properties from Steve. She also received $40,000 per month through March 2009 and a lump-sum payment of $1.5 million. Those settlement terms were confirmed by a Dallas court in 2011.
Her cosmetics business, Mary Lee Cosmetics, reportedly added to her income after the divorce, though the company’s current revenue figures are not publicly available.
Mary Lee Harvey Social Media
Mary Lee Harvey does not appear to maintain any publicly verified social media profiles as of 2026.
Since the conclusion of her legal battles with Steve Harvey, she has stayed largely out of public view. No confirmed handles for Instagram, Twitter/X, or other platforms are available.
Conclusion
Mary Lee Harvey’s public story is inseparable from her nine-year marriage to Steve Harvey and the contentious divorce that followed.
Her son Wynton is her lasting connection to the spotlight, and the legal record of their split remains one of the most documented and publicized celebrity divorces in recent Dallas-area court history.