LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Good Morning America' star Michael Strahan had an uncomfortable encounter at the graduation ceremony of his twin daughters Isabella and Sophia in New York City. Strahan’s children recently graduated from the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Manhattan and Michael along with his ex-wife Jean Muggli were present to celebrate the twins on their high school graduation day.
Isabella and Sophia were delighted to share the big day with their parents but Michael ensured that he didn’t cross paths with his ex-wife. Michael and Jean filed for divorce in 2006 and had been fighting an ugly custody battle until April 2023. Nevertheless, the two parents were able to set their differences aside for a day and celebrate a landmark moment in the lives of their daughters.
Wedding or graduation?
Isabella was over the moon on her graduation day. The 18-year-old took to Instagram to share a few snaps of her and Sophia from their graduation. Both the girls looked stunning as they donned white dresses with a few differences in their attire. Isabella wore an off-the-shoulder, pure white floor-length dress, while Sophia was in a white, short-sleeve, square-neck 1950s-style dress with black polka dots. Isabella had made the post with the caption, “Wedding or graduation?” and had multiple photos of her with her sister, her friends and each of her parents.
Isabella had posted a photo of her and Sophia with their mother Jean, while only Isabella was in the pic that she shared of her and Michael. None of the images in Isabella's post captured Michael and Jean together with their daughters. The parents’ intent was clear — unite for their daughters’s graduation and disperse without acknowledging each other’s presence.
The custody war
Michael and Jean have been at each other’s throats since 2005 over the custody of their children. According to New York Post, in 2007, Michael was ordered to pay Jean, who
he married in 1999, $15.3 million in their divorce and $18,000 a month in child support. He was also ordered to pay $311,150 in backdated child support for August 2005.
As per the court, Michael is responsible for paying 90 percent of the parenting coordinator’s retainer and all fees and expenses, while Jean is required to pay the remaining 10 percent. However, in 2019, Michael accused Jean of “engaging 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.” The custody battle finally came to an end in April 2023 with the parents having shared custody of their twins.
