Before meeting Steve, 18-year-old Marjorie was in a relationship with Jim Townsend, a married, big-time drug dealer. In an interview with Tasha K, Jim said he told Marjorie he didn’t want any more kids because he already had three. Marjorie assured him she was on birth control, but they ended up having two children together. While she was pregnant with their second child, Jim was being investigated by the feds for running a smuggling ring across the U.S. He told Radar Online that he accepted a plea deal to protect Marjorie and his brother from getting indicted, which led to his life sentence in prison. Less than five years into his sentence, Marjorie left him.
We’ve shared parts of this story many times on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Some people in the comments don’t blame Marjorie for moving on from someone serving a life sentence. Others think her actions show she’s only loyal to herself and leaves when things get tough. They say that if Jim hadn’t taken the fall for her, Marjorie would have been in prison right beside him. Either way, Marjorie made her choice, and Jim had to deal with it. Poor Jim.
Steve married Marcia in 1981, and they had three kids together. One day, Marjorie showed up at one of Steve’s stand-up shows in Memphis. Now, Steve and Marjorie don’t talk much about when they first met, but a few years back, they told Essence magazine that it was in 1990—which means Steve was still married to Marcia at the time. We’ve linked that interview in the description box. Marjorie came in late, and as she walked to her seat, Steve was completely captivated. He stopped his performance and just stared at her before finally saying, “I don’t know who this is, but I’m gonna marry her.” Unbelievable, right? Yep, Steve, who was married then, was already trying to impress Marjorie.
Back then, Steve and Marcia were going through some serious marital issues. Steve was actually homeless and living out of the back of his Ford Tempo. Honestly, what even is a Ford Tempo? I’ve never seen one. Anyway, he told People magazine, “I realized you’re on your own, you have nothing or no one.” Hold up, didn’t he have a wife and three kids waiting for him at home?
Some folks might argue that a married man flirting with someone else isn’t really cheating. But Steve went beyond flirting; he started a relationship with Marjorie. Marjorie said she knew Steve was the one right away. But girl, what about his wife? Never mind.
In an interview with Essence, Steve glossed over the fact that he was married when he first met Marjorie. He said he couldn’t commit to her because he was living out of his car and wasn’t financially stable. He mentioned that before a man can be of any use to a woman, he needs to know who he is, what he does, and how much he’s going to make. Marjorie didn’t care about that. Apparently, she was ready to drive that Ford Tempo right into the sunset with him.
After dating for a while, Steve suddenly ghosted Marjorie. She picked herself up and moved on with another dealer named Donnell Woods. They welcomed their daughter Lori in January 1997. Just to clear up any rumors, Donnell and Jim aren’t related or cousins. Marjorie and Donnell got married a few years after Lori was born, right around the time the FBI started investigating Donnell’s family’s operations. Donnell ended up getting sentenced to 37 months in prison, and Marjorie wasn’t about to wait that long. According to Radar Online, she managed to get back into Steve’s inner circle by dating his bodyguard, William “Big Boom” Freeman. On his now-defunct website, Big Boom described himself as a former pimp who exploited women to gain a sense of power and self-esteem. It’s unclear how long their relationship lasted.
Meanwhile, Steve divorced his first wife, Marcia, in 1994 and married Mary Shackelford in 1996. Steve later told People magazine that he regretted getting married so quickly, saying, “I got married for the wrong reasons. I was tired of being alone. I have to own that. It was me, not her, but it was bad for a long time.” They had a son in 1997, but their marriage fell apart in 2005, the same year he reconnected with Marjorie.
In a YouTube video, Mary claimed that Steve was a serial cheater, calling him a “cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater.” She also claimed Marjorie was just one of Steve’s many side chicks, which Marjorie dismissed as malicious and baseless.
Steve told People magazine he was really down after his breakup, and his friend Big Boom stepped in with some surprising advice. “The only time I’ve ever seen you truly happy was when you were with Marjorie,” Big Boom told him. “Before you do something rash and marry someone else, I’m calling her now.” Now, it’s pretty unlikely Steve had kept Marjorie’s number from their ’90s relationship, but Big Boom did. Apparently, Big Boom had stayed in touch with Marjorie after their alleged romance, living up to his reputation as a smooth operator from back in the day. He had no problem reconnecting Steve with Marjorie.
Fifteen years after cutting ties, Steve reached out to Marjorie. By then, his career was flourishing, and he was no longer homeless. He felt ready to be the man Marjorie deserved. When he explained why he had disappeared years ago, Marjorie reflected on what might have been. She told People magazine, “I owned my house back then. You wouldn’t have been homeless. We could have saved so much time.”
On an episode of Club Shay Shay, Steve shared that after he and Marjorie rekindled their relationship, their seven children went bowling together. When they returned, the girls expressed their concerns about the couple getting married too soon, believing their parents needed more time together. Although adults will make their own decisions, perhaps the children saw warning signs and wanted to protect their parents from potential heartache.
Steve and Marjorie got married in 2007, and years later, on his talk show, Steve shared, “When I married Marjorie, I had some assets, but we didn’t do a prenup because I knew she was the one I wanted to be with forever.”
You don’t expect to end up in the hospital, but you still have health insurance, right? A prenup works the same way—it’s a form of marriage insurance. If you have any assets, it’s a good idea to have one. Many celebrities have talked openly about getting prenups before they got married. For example, Beyonce told a German magazine that she and Jay-Z have what she called a “marriage contract,” and she encourages other women to get one too. Gabrielle Union made sure she and Dwyane Wade signed a prenup, and Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani have one as well. But Steve, with his carefree attitude, didn’t take those steps, potentially setting himself up for financial trouble. However, as long as they stay together, his fortune remains safe. For now.
Now, back to the story. Jim told Radar Online that Marjorie cut off all communication with him a few days after she married Steve. What was she trying to hide? Some people argue that, since Jim was the father of her children, he couldn’t really harm her new marriage from prison. Jim served nearly 27 years before President Barack Obama commuted his sentence in January 2017. He has written a book about his life, including his time with Marjorie. We’ll include a link to his book in our description. Maybe Marjorie cut ties so quickly because she wanted to integrate their families by having Steve adopt her children.
You know, there’s been a lot of chatter about the whole adoption situation, and it’s just downright peculiar. Marjorie and Steve tying the knot, and suddenly her kids—Morgan, Jason, and Lori—taking on Steve’s last name? Morgan and Jason were in their late teens, Lori just a kid. It’s hard to imagine teenagers willingly swapping out their family name for their mom’s new husband’s, right? Sure, step-parent adoption can be a beautiful thing, but some folks are wondering if it would’ve happened at all if Steve wasn’t a big shot celebrity with deep pockets. Was it about blending families, or was there something more to gain from it?
Now, let’s hit pause for a sec and go over the basics. Marjorie went from being Steve’s supposed side piece to his wife, and they didn’t even bother with a prenup. On top of that, Steve legally adopts Marjorie’s grown kids. Raises some eyebrows, doesn’t it?
In a half-serious, half-joking tone, insiders are whispering that maybe Steve’s beefed up security at his Atlanta digs has something to do with Marjorie’s past. According to someone in the know, “Steve’s got his own skeletons, but compared to Marjorie’s exes, he’s a saint. Can’t blame the guy for wanting to keep his turf secure.”
Over the years, folks have been pointing fingers at Marjorie, accusing her of burning through all of Steve’s hard-earned cash. If you scroll through her Instagram feed, it’s like a high-end shopping spree with snapshots of her splurges—think a $39,000 Louis Vuitton airplane bag, exotic purses that cost a pretty penny, thousand-dollar dresses, and blinged-out jewelry worth millions. But it’s not just about her own desires; Marjorie’s also all about securing her family’s future. Steve spilled the beans, saying she’s been pushing to stash some cash for their grandkids. Hold on a minute though, I’ve already footed the bill for that crew, now I’m expected to do the same for their offspring? Outrageous. Not only did I adopt her kids and support them through thick and thin, but now Marjorie’s expecting me to bankroll her kids’ kids too. Can you believe it? But here’s the kicker—Steve finally put his foot down. “I told my kids, listen up, I’m laying it out straight—I’m using 85 percent of what I’m making for me and your mom. The grandkids will get a college fund, a bit of pocket change at 25, that’s it. After that, they gotta hustle.” And you know what? That’s the way it’s gonna be.
Over the years, there have been persistent rumors swirling around Steve and Marjorie’s marriage. Back in July 2018, there was quite the buzz when Radar Online claimed Steve was eyeing a departure, supposedly for Kris Jenner. But Steve and Marjorie swiftly shut down those rumors, posting happy vacation photos to prove otherwise. The gossip mill churned again in May 2019, alleging that Steve was quietly putting up four of his Texas properties for sale, hinting at a looming divorce battle. In response, Marjorie took Lori on a lavish month-long trip around the world, and she made sure to share every moment on her Instagram. As their 13th wedding anniversary approached in 2020, The National Enquirer dropped another bombshell, suggesting Marjorie was fed up with Steve’s wandering eye. An insider hinted that their marriage had hit a rough patch, especially after two of Steve’s shows got axed. With Steve’s history of infidelity in previous marriages, the insider cautioned that Marjorie was understandably wary. So, is the old adage “once a cheater, always a cheater” always true? Well, sometimes it unfortunately seems to hold water.
According to an article on choosingtherapy.com, it’s noted that some serial cheaters struggle with feelings of guilt over their actions, while others seem to lack any remorse altogether. Interestingly, there’s a prevailing sentiment among some folks that this could be karma catching up with him for not being the best husband to his exes.
In August 2023, the rumor mill went wild on social media, alleging that Marjorie had cheated on Steve with both his bodyguard and their chef. Big Boom was even pointed out by some as the supposed bodyguard involved. However, here at RRG, we’ve done our digging and can confirm that Big Boom is happily married and living in Texas. Plus, it’s unclear if he’s still working as Steve’s bodyguard at the time of this video.
The sudden surge of rumors about Marjorie’s alleged affairs caught us off guard, and we were hesitant to give them any attention without solid evidence. After all, we pride ourselves on relying on credible sources. But Marjorie decided to address the chatter head-on with an Instagram post. She wrote, “My husband and I usually don’t dignify all the nonsense and lies circulating about us. However, with great privilege comes great responsibility. I understand that with my platform, there’s an obligation to those who might not have our strength.” Fair point, Marjorie, but what’s the real deal here? Did she really get cozy with the bodyguard and chef, or is it all just talk? That’s what everyone’s dying to know.
At the Invest Fest in Atlanta, Steve took a moment to address the swirling rumors. “I’ve heard the chatter, but I don’t have time for gossip. I’m just grateful for what I have and I’m staying positive,” he confidently stated.
Now, about those rumors regarding Steve and Marjorie… Well, who knows if there’s any truth to them? But it’s hard to ignore the warning signs when there are so many. Share your thoughts in the comments below!