Michael Strahan Had to Prove His Twins Were Abused by Mom – At 18 His Girls Beam with Dad at Graduation

• Michael Strahan and his second wife seemed happily married until they had an argument, which saw them going to court and partially led to their divorce.
• The couple’s separation led to a bitter and lengthy custody battle for their twin daughters, Sophia and Isabella Strahan.
• However, now that the custody battle was finally over, the family could get together to celebrate one of the children’s graduation events.

Michael Strahan initially met his future wife, Jean Muggli, in a Manhattan salon when he was still a star player for the New York Giants. In July 1999, the couple married before welcoming twin daughters, Sophia and Isabella Strahan, in 2004.

Years later, Muggli and her husband allegedly had a fallout about money, and she filed a domestic violence complaint against him, which he passionately denied. Days after that argument, the former professional athlete filed for divorce on March 2015 and addressed the matter in an interview.

The star noted how unfortunate it was that “some marriages don’t always work out” for the people involved and that it was the “painful reality” of our era. Addressing the abuse allegations, Michael said he’d never psychologically or physically harm any of the people he loved, especially his second wife, because he wasn’t that type of man.

He vowed to continue respecting his wife’s privacy and refused to allow a role in having their private matter become a public spectacle. In dealing with the abuse claims, Muggli eventually admitted to a court that her husband hadn’t touched her during their disagreement, and the case was dismissed.

In July 2006, the former couple’s divorce was finalized, with Muggli receiving $18,000 monthly in child support plus a payment of $15.3 million. Years later, in 2016, Michael addressed his past divorces, noting how they were “one of the toughest things” he’d ever experienced.

He also shared how being a single father with two four-month-old children when he divorced Muggli forced him to be active. The star said he had to be with his children constantly, watching them grow, but those moments taught him he was capable.

He realized there was nothing to fear because he could do it alone, and he did. Michael defined the moment as a fantastic experience, but he had to battle his ex-wife to be with the two girls.

Sadly, the hard divorce between Michael and Muggli was unfortunately not the last thing he had to face with her, as he had to prove she abused their twins before asking for sole custody. In March 2020, the star claimed his ex-wife abused their teenage daughters emotionally and physically.

Court documents said the former NFL player wanted Muggli’s primary custody of their daughters taken away and given to him. The “Good Morning America” co-host alleged that his wife had had a “pattern of abusive conduct” towards their twins for years and that he had proof of it and would show it in sealed documents.

He presented his ex-wife as a lousy parent, claiming she wasn’t taking the duo to therapy that was court-ordered and was also the reason the children kept missing equestrian events and volleyball matches.

Michael had visitation rights but wished for his daughters to move in with him in New York, and their mother “held in criminal and civil contempt” for what she’d allegedly done. At the time, Muggli lived with the 15-year-old teenagers in North Carolina and wanted her ex-husband’s visitation rights to remain as is.

As she [Isabella Strahan] and other graduates were dressed in white and held matching flower bouquets, she hilariously teased whether she was at a “Wedding or graduation?”

The former couple battled over different custody issues over their children since their divorce. By April 2023, Michael, 51, and Muggli’s North Carolina custody case was finally complete, with the twins relocating to New York to be with their father.

In that year, Isabella and Sophia were now close to adulthood as 18-year-old twins. It seemed the duo was thriving under Michael‘s loving care, although their mother was still a part of their lives.

Just months after the custody battle concluded, on June 14, 2023, Michael took to his Instagram account to share that one of his daughters had reached a significant milestone. He proudly uploaded images and videos of Isabella graduating from high school.

His first photo was of him and Isabella making “peace signs” while posing in the street outside the venue. The second slide was a short video taken from above, showing the graduate walking down the aisle with two classmates.

The third one was an image of the former athlete next two both of his daughters and his girlfriend, Kayla Quick. Isabella and Sophia looked happy and appeared well-adjusted as they celebrated the former’s achievements.

In his caption, the sports analyst noted that his daughter was finally out of high school and on her way to the University of Southern California (USC), writing:

“So proud of you, @isabellastrahan!!!”

Michael described her as beautiful, intelligent, and hard-working and said he couldn’t wait to see her continue to shine before declaring his love and calling himself a “Girl Dad” in a hashtag. On her Instagram account, Isabella shared one of the pictures her father uploaded and many others of herself during her graduation from the Convent of the Sacred Heart.

As she and other graduates were dressed in white and held matching flower bouquets, she hilariously teased whether she was at a “Wedding or graduation?” She and her sister looked gorgeous and happy in one of the pictures, where they seemed to be posing with their mother.

In her Instagram Story, Isabella shared a solo image of her standing at the venue where she graduated and celebrated. A fan who saw her Instagram posts was thrilled for Micheal’s daughter and her classmates, writing:

“Beautiful young ladies, congratulations!”

A second person also commented on Muggli’s daughter’s post, noting how she had a “beautiful family.” We hope the twins, Michael, and his ex-wife, will continue placing their children’s needs and happiness before their own.