American former professional football player Tony Dorsett, who is considered one of the NFL’s most prolific runners, was previously married to Julie Simon, the native of Oxnard, California.
They walked down the aisle in an intimate wedding ceremony on September 1, 1980, shortly after first meeting in the camp. At the time, Tony had visited the hospital in a group for a physical examination, and his then-future wife Julie was a nurse.
Ed "Too Tall" Jones stands between teammate Tony Dorsett and Julie Simon on the couple's wedding day: pic.twitter.com/EPnLo2b6
— SI Vault (@si_vault) August 31, 2012
They appeared to have felt an instant connection, so they must have decided to marry the same year they met.
But things didn’t go as they expected. Their marital relationship lasted only two years. In 1982, Julie filed for a divorce, citing ‘discord or conflict of personalities’ in the marriage.
Mrs. Dorsett’s divorce petition states a personality conflict with her husband ‘destroys the legitamite ends of the marriage relationship and prevents any expectation of reconciliation.’
Via UPI
Per the divorce petition documents that emerged in the media, Tony and his ex-wife, Julie, had lived apart since June 21, 1982.
Well, in the court hearing held in July 1982, the jury ordered Tony to pay his ex-wife $2,500 per month as spousal support, to which he agreed.
However, despite all the agreements, the divorce was finalized in the next two years. In this regard, Tony Dorsetts and his ex-wife, Julie Simon, remained married for four years.
Well, whatever the matter was, Tony always remained reluctant to talk about his first marriage. While their divorce was ongoing, when the media asked Tony to comment about his ex-wife at the Cowboys’ training camp in Thousand Oaks, he directly denied it, saying,
I have nothing to say, and it’s not even worth writing about
Tony Dorsett
That’s why information on Julie Simon, Tony Dorsett’s ex-wife, is hardly available in the media. However, her appearance suggests that Julie has Asian ancestry.
Former Dallas Cowboys Star Tony Dorsett Remarried With Janet Harmon Dorsett In 2000
Tony remarried more than a decade after he separated from his first wife. On June 3, 2000, he tied the knot with his now-wife, Janet Harmon Dorsett.
Janet remained by his side as a strong wife in every rollercoaster of his life. In November 2013, when Tony was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, his wife supported him in all the way she could.
Happy anniversary to my wife @mamadorsett. I know our angels are smiling down on us today with so much love. ❤ pic.twitter.com/eHRQzKlmAm
— Tony Dorsett (@Tony_Dorsett) June 3, 2018
During an exclusive talk with The Washington Post, he said,
I’m in a battle, obviously. I got diagnosed with CTE and it’s very frustrating at times for me. I’ve got a good team of people around me, my wife and kids, who work with me..
Via The Washington Post
Per his social media presence, it seems like Tony is doing well with his life. Lately, he has been sharing several life quotes on his Instagram handle, but previously, he often used to flaunt his relationship with his better half.
Besides Janet’s husband, Tony is also a father to his four children: Anthony, Jazmyn, Madison, and Mia.
Among the four, Anthony followed in his father’s footsteps. He played football at the University of Pittsburgh and later played defensive back in the NFL.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Tony Dorsett was born ‘Anthony Drew Dorsett Sr.‘ in Rochester, Pennsylvania, on April 7, 1954. He is currently 70 years old.
- After graduating from Hopewell High School, he attended the University of Pittsburgh.
- He was named the All-American during his freshman year at college at 29.
