Adrienne Calhoun — what history remembers and forgets about her
Adrienne Calhoun, George Foreman’s first wife, was quietly by his side as he began his path to boxing greatness. While the spotlight shone on the rising star, she lived largely out of view. Now, her story emerges, highlighting the woman behind the legend’s early days.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Adrienne Calhoun is known as George Foreman's first wife, whose time with him came during his rise from Olympic gold medallist to world heavyweight champion.
- Adrienne Calhoun and George Foreman met on a blind date in August 1970 before tying the knot in 1971.
- The couple had a daughter, Michi Foreman, before divorcing in 1974.
- After their divorce, Calhoun went on to marry Ben Jones.
Profile summary
Full name | Adrienne Calhoun |
Gender | Female |
Year of birth | 12 Dec 1946 |
Year of death | 9 Dec 2019 |
Age at death | 72 years |
Place of birth | United States |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | Mixed |
Religion | Christianity |
Sexuality | Straight |
Hair colour | Black |
Eye colour | Dark brown |
Marital status | Married |
Husband | Ben Jones |
Children | 1 |
Adrienne Calhoun's biography
Adrienne was born on 12 Dec 1946 in the United States. She was an American citizen of mixed descent.
According to Find A Grave and Ancestry.com, Adrienne reportedly died in 2019 at the age of 72, a few days before her 73rd birthday.
Adrienne Calhoun’s role in George Foreman’s early years
Foreman's first wife, Adrienne Calhoun, gained public attention through her marriage to George Foreman. Her ex-husband was a professional boxer, businessman, minister, and author, widely known as “Big George.”
He fought professionally from 1967 to 1997, becoming a two-time world heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medallist.
Inside Adrienne Calhoun’s marriage to George Foreman
Source: Getty Images
Adrienne met the professional boxer George Foreman on a blind date on 29 August 1970. Reflecting on that moment in an interview with The Minnesota Star Tribune in 2019, Calhoun shared her memories of their first meeting.
[We met] on a blind date, Aug. 29, 1970. A guy friend of mine came by my house and said, 'This boxer George Foreman is in town, and we want somebody to kind of go out with him. You don't have to do nothin'.' I said, 'Aw, OK.' The boyfriend I had was a nobody.
Adrienne and the American author began dating and married in 1971, but their relationship was short-lived, ending in divorce in 1974. In an aforementioned interview, she shared how she felt after the split when asked how long the marriage lasted:
Three. He always says we should've been friends [never a couple]. He has a sense of humor, and I do, too. He hurt me and broke my heart. HE BROKE MY HEART. I thought I was going to be married forever. I came from a divorced home. But I forgave him somewhere in there. I think he just wanted to get out there and play. He had become heavyweight champion. He said he didn't want to be married.
Source: Getty Images
George’s involvement with Pamela Clay, which resulted in the birth of George Foreman Jr., reportedly contributed to their split. Adrienne and George shared one daughter, Michi Foreman, and despite the divorce, they remained friends.
She also explained that they communicated openly and that she felt comfortable reaching out to him whenever issues concerning their daughter arose.
George and I have had our wars, but we truly are friends. If I'm having problems with [our] daughter, I'll call him.
Adrienne later remarried, tying the knot with Ben Jones. George married Cynthia Lewis, a former Miss Black Teenage America, and their union lasted from 1977 to 1979.
He later entered into three more marriages, ultimately settling with Mary Joan Martelly in 1985, and the two remained together until his death on 21 March 2025.
FAQs
- Who is George Foreman's first wife? The American businessman's first wife was Adrienne Calhoun.
- What is Adrienne Calhoun's age? Adrienne was 72 years old at the time of her death.
- What was Adrienne Calhoun's nationality? She was an American citizen.
- Who are Adrienne Calhoun's children? She has a daughter, Michi Foreman, whom she shares with George Foreman.
- How did George Foreman and Adrienne Calhoun meet? The two met on a blind date in 1970.
- When did Adrienne Calhoun and George Foreman divorce? They divorced in 1974, three years after marrying in 1971.
- Where is Adrienne Calhoun now? She is reported to have died in 2019.
Adrienne Calhoun, George Foreman's first wife, gained public attention during his rise as an Olympic gold medallist and future heavyweight champion. The couple married in 1971 and divorced in 1974, and they share a daughter. The professional boxer, George, died in March 2025.
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Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
