'Good Morning America': Michael Strahan's Custody War Just Got Tenser
Michael Strahan and his ex-wife Jean Muggli are accused of failing to pay their parenting coordinator in their custody battle despite the former's $17 million salary as host of Good Morning America. Since filing for divorce in 2006, Strahan, 50, has fought with his ex over custody of their 17-year-old twin daughters, Isabella and Sophia.
According to The Sun, despite reaching a new custody agreement in 2020, the case continues to be contentious. As per court documents obtained by the outlet, the parenting coordinator has requested approval to "withdraw from further services" since the "reasonable fees of the parenting coordinator have not been paid" since June 21.
A hearing was scheduled for July 5, but the parenting coordinator dismissed her request just days later on June 30. As outlined in the court papers, Strahan is liable for paying 90 percent of the parenting coordinator's compensation and "all fees and expenses," while Muggli is responsible for the remaining 10 percent.
The parties have clashed over the parenting coordinator at various points of their bitter war. Strahan alleged in 2019 that Muggli had engaged "in a pattern of conduct designed to increase unnecessarily the involvement of the parenting coordinator and to significantly increase the fees charged by the parenting coordinator."
According to court papers, his claims included discussions about their daughters' schooling and Muggli allegedly ignoring his emails regarding visitation, requiring the parenting coordinator to intervene. The documents also revealed that Muggli expressed concerns over Strahan paying the parenting coordinator a higher percentage, believing it created a "bias" in the decision-making process. Muggli declined the parenting coordinator's offer to split the fees 50/50 to prevent this conflict.
In October, Strahan and Muggli's daughters will turn 18, ending their long legal battle. The two were married from 1999 to 2006. The New York Post reported that Strahan was ordered to pay Muggli $15.3 million in their divorce settlement and $18,000 a month in child support in 2007. In addition, he was ordered to pay $311,150 in back child support.
Strahan accused Muggli of engaging in a "pattern of abusive conduct" towards the twins in 2020. The former New York Giants player claimed she had physically and emotionally abused her children and failed to bring them to therapy sessions, volleyball games, and horseback riding events. According to Page Six, the abuse claims were dismissed, and they agreed to share custody. Muggli, who lives in North Carolina, agreed to get an Upper West Side apartment in New York since her daughters are attending separate high schools in Manhattan.