As an author, Harvey has written four books, including his 2009 bestsellerAct Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. In 2017, he founded Steve Harvey Global, an entertainment company that houses his production company East 112 and various other ventures. Harvey launched anAfrican version ofFamily Feud and also invested in theHDNet takeover along with Anthem Sports and Entertainment. He and his wife, Marjorie, are the founders of The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on youth education.
Early life
Broderick Stephen Harvey was born on January 17, 1957,[4][5] inWelch, West Virginia, the son of Jesse Harvey, a coal miner, and Eloise Vera.[6] He is the youngest of five children.[7] His first name is Broderick, named after actorBroderick Crawford of the TV seriesHighway Patrol.[2] Harvey had a severe stutter as a child, but eventually overcame it.[8] When he was in the sixth grade, Harvey wrote that he wanted to be on TV when he grew up, after his teacher asked the class to record their personal dreams. Harvey's teacher told his father that Harvey was being a "smart aleck." His father believed in him though. After Harvey achieved his dream, he sent the teacher a TV every year for Christmas for the rest of her life.[9] Harvey and his family moved toCleveland,Ohio, living on East 112th Street, which was renamed Steve Harvey Way in 2015.[10] Harvey graduated fromGlenville High School in 1974.[10]
Shortly after high school, Harvey attendedKent State University, where he was a member ofOmega Psi Phi fraternity, but never graduated from college.[6][11] He readily admits to "flunking out" ofKent State after two years as anadvertising major in the 1970s.[12] While Harvey has talked about overcoming his early life and educational obstacles, Harvey later conceded, "It really threw my life into a downward spiral, and I regret not getting that degree."[13]
Career
Early career and comedy
Harvey has been a boxer, an autoworker, an insurance salesman, a carpet cleaner, and a mailman.[6][11][14] He first performedstand-up comedy on October 8, 1985, at the Hilarities Comedy Club in Cleveland, Ohio. In the late 1980s, Harvey washomeless for three years.[15] He slept in his 1976Ford when not performing gigs that provided a hotel, and showered at gas stations and swimming pools.[16] Rich and Becky Liss helped Harvey during this time with a contract for carpet cleaning and credit at a travel agency.[17]
1990–2009: Move to television and film
Harvey in September 2008
Harvey was a finalist in the Second AnnualJohnnie Walker National Comedy Search performing on April 16, 1990, eventually leading to a long stint as host ofIt's Showtime at the Apollo, succeedingMark Curry in that role. Harvey's success as astand-up comedian led to a starring role on the short-livedABC seriesMe and the Boys in 1994.[18] He would later star onThe WB network showThe Steve Harvey Show, which ran from 1996 to 2002.[18] While popular, the show never achieved critical acclaim outside of the African-American community.[19]
In 1997, Harvey continued his work in stand-up comedy, performing on the Kings of Comedy tour along withCedric the Entertainer,D.L. Hughley, andBernie Mac. The tour became the highest grossing comedy tour in history, grossing $18 million its first year and $19 million its second.[20] The comedy act would later be put together into a film bySpike Lee calledThe Original Kings of Comedy.[21] That title was also used as the name of Harvey's comedy and variety television show (later renamedSteve Harvey's Big Time Challenge), which aired onThe WB network from 2003 until 2005.[22]
Harvey is the host ofThe Steve Harvey Morning Show, a weekday morning radio program he has hosted since 2000.[23] It was originally syndicated throughRadio One, Inc. from September 2000 to May 2005.[citation needed] As of 2019, the show is syndicated through the United States.[23]
In 2006, Harvey released the stand-up specialSteve Harvey: Don't Trip... He Ain't Through with Me Yet directed byLeslie Small. The special was filmed atMegaFest with Harvey not using profanity during the show.[28] He hosted the Disney Dreamers Academy, a teen-focused personal and professional enrichment event that took place January 17–20, 2008, at theWalt Disney World Resort inLake Buena Vista, Florida.[29]
Harvey released the bookAct Like a Lady, Think Like a Man in 2009. The book is about how men think about women and relationships.[30] Based on the book, the 2012 filmThink Like a Man is an ensemble romantic comedy depicting characters taking advice on dating from the book.[31] The hardcover version spent 64 weeks onThe New York Times best-seller list, 23 of those weeks at No. 1.[32]
2010–2016:Family Feud and other ventures
Harvey hosting his syndicated radio show in April 2010
Harvey began hostingFamily Feud in September 2010.[6][33] The show has seen improved ratings under him,[34] and Harvey holds the longest tenure of anyFamily Feud host.[35] He also hostsCelebrity Family Feud, where celebrities compete for a chance to donate up to $25,000 to their favorite charity. The show airs during the summer onABC.[36]
In August 2011, on his radio show, Harvey calledCornel West andTavis Smiley "Uncle Toms" because of their criticism of PresidentBarack Obama.[37] Harvey later apologized for using the phrase but maintained his criticism of West and Smiley.[38][39]
On August 2, 2012, Harvey performed his final stand-up act at theMGM Grand inLas Vegas, ending a 27-year career as a stand-up comedian. The two-hour performance was broadcast live onpay-per-view.
"The road to this final show has been an amazing journey, doing stand-up for the past 27 years, and I can't thank fans enough after reflecting on all those years on stage."[40][41]
In 2013, Harvey became the first double host nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award, receiving nominations for both Outstanding Talk Show Host and Outstanding Game Show Host.[43] He was also honored with a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.[44] The following year, Harvey launched a new dating website called Delightful. It is a joint venture withIAC with Harvey supplying articles and videos for the site.[45]
In December 2015, Harvey hosted theMiss Universe 2015 pageant inLas Vegas. Upon announcing the final results, he mistakenly named the first runner-up,Miss Colombia (Ariadna Gutiérrez) as the winner, as Harvey apparently mistook the envelope as the name of the final runner-up for that of the winner. A few minutes after she was crowned, Harvey announced that he had read the results incorrectly and thatMiss Philippines (Pia Wurtzbach) was the new Miss Universe.[46][47] Harvey apologized to Wurtzbach outside the venue and latertweeted an apology to both contestants.[48][49][50] He also hosted theMiss Universe 2016 pageant in the Philippines on January 30, 2017, telling theMiss Universe Organization that he wanted to personally apologize to the Filipinos for the incident that occurred during the last Miss Universe pageant he hosted.[51] Harvey returned as host for theMiss Universe 2017 pageant in Las Vegas on November 26, 2017, theMiss Universe 2018 pageant inThailand on December 17, 2018,[52] theMiss Universe 2019 pageant inAtlanta, Georgia on December 8, 2019, and theMiss Universe 2021 pageant inIsrael on December 13, 2021.[53] During the 2019 pageant, he mistakenly announced Miss Philippines (Gazini Ganados) as the winner of the National Costume contest when the winner wasMiss Malaysia (Shweta Sekhon).[54]
In January 2016, Harvey gave a motivational speech to audience members after the taping of an episode ofFamily Feud. The theme of the speech was for people to embrace the skills they were born with. He references embracing the gifts with jumping from a cliff and relying on the parachute (those gifts) to help you.[55] The speech was the motivation for the bookJump: Take the Leap of Faith to Achieve Your Life of Abundance, published by Harvey in 2016.[56]
In October 2016, it was announced that Harvey would host two revival specials ofShowtime at the Apollo for Fox.[57] The following month, theSteve Harvey talk show was cancelled, and it was announced that Harvey had reached a deal withIMG to produce a new syndicated talk show in Los Angeles with NBCUniversal. The new series,Steve, premiered in September 2017, and was described as having more of a celebrity- and comedy-oriented format with a larger amount of creative control held by Harvey, as opposed to the previous program's larger focus onhuman interest subjects. To facilitate the new series, production of Harvey's radio show andFamily Feud were relocated to L.A.[58][59]
Harvey is the co-creator ofLittle Big Shots, a series launched in 2016; executive producers are Harvey andEllen DeGeneres.[60] The series features children demonstrating talents and engaging in conversation with Harvey. He hosted the show until 2019.[61]
In 2016, during a commencement ceremony atAlabama State University, President Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd awarded Harvey an honorary doctorate.[12]
2017–present: Steve Harvey Global
Harvey united all of his businesses under Steve Harvey Global (SHG) in 2017.[62] Brands under SHG include East One Twelve, Harvey's in-house production company that is used to develop digital content, films, and television. The company also owns the rights for international versions ofFamily Feud,[63] of which an African version of the show was announced to begin in 2020.[64] He also launched the Sand and Soul Festival in 2017. The event has been held yearly and features live music, comedy, and a question and answers session with Harvey and his wife Marjorie.[65] He also launched Harvey Events, a special events company led by his daughter Morgan Hawthorne and son-in-law Kareem Hawthorne. It has produced events such as the FroRibbean Fest in Atlanta in 2018.[66]
In 2017, Harvey began hosting aNew Year's Evespecial fromTimes Square for Fox (which, like his talk show, would be produced in partnership with IMG).[67] Two days before the broadcast, Harvey wasordained in the state of New York so he could officiate an on-air wedding betweenKeven Undergaro andMaria Menounos during the special.[68] The special was Fox's most-watched New Year's Eve broadcast to date.[69]
In January 2017, Harvey made jokes onSteve Harvey about Asian men, ridiculing the idea that any white or black woman would want to date one. He said: "Excuse me, do you like Asian men? No, thank you." Harvey went on to add, "I don't even like Chinese food."[70] The remarks brought criticism fromAsian Americans, includingNew York politicians andFresh Off the Boat authorEddie Huang.[71][72] Huang called Harvey "hypocritical" for speaking about issues facing the black community while denigrating Asians.[72][73] Harvey apologized on his talk show and Twitter, saying: "I offer my humblest apology for offending anyone, particularly those in the Asian community … It was not my intention, and the humor was not meant with any malice or disrespect whatsoever."[74] However, he also earlier said, "I ain't been laughing that much over the past few days. They're kinda beating me up on the internet right now for no reason. But, you know, that's life, ain't it?"[75]
In response to a caller fromFlint, Michigan, who insulted theCleveland Cavaliers after their loss to theGolden State Warriors in the2017 NBA Finals, Harvey, a Cavaliers fan, told the caller to "go have yourself a nice glass of brown water!" in reference to thecity's water crisis. The joke was criticized by, among others,Amariyanna Copeny and Flint MayorKaren Weaver, who demanded a public apology. Harvey responded by saying, "The caller and I were talking trash about our teams and cities. Simply trash talking about sports. I made a joke directed at him, as he is from Flint, a city for which I have great affection and respect. So much so that I devoted a full hour on my daytime talk show to raising awareness for the Flint water crisis … The caller laughed, as my joke was taken in the context it was offered."[76][77]
At the end of 2018, it was announced that Harvey would host the eighth annualNFL Honors.[78] He said that he had wanted to host it for a while, going as far as to say in his opening monologue: "What took y'all so long to ask me to host the show?" Harvey returned to host the ninth annual show the following season.[79]
In January 2022, Harvey began hosting the arbitration-based court comedyJudge Steve Harvey on ABC.[82]
OnInternational Day of Happiness 2022, Harvey, on behalf of the United States and the Vatican pavilions, held a talk in Dubai duringExpo 2020 to discuss the relations between happiness and religion.[83]
In March 2024, it was announced that Harvey would joinMerit Street Media, an upcoming multi-platform media outlet owned and created by his longtime friendPhil McGraw, the former host ofDr. Phil.[84]
Philanthropy
Harvey talking to a group of Chicago youths during the Steve Harvey Mentoring Weekend in 2015.
Harvey is the founder of the Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation, a philanthropic organization that provides youth outreach services.[85] It hosts a yearly camp for fatherless children[86] and also partnered withKent State University to provide scholarships to the school.[87] Harvey is also a partner withWalt Disney World Resort andEssence for the Disney Dreamers Academy, a yearly workshop at Walt Disney World for 100 students.[88]
During the 2022Halloween Thriller Night hosted by theHeal Los Angeles Foundation, Harvey andChris Tucker received the inaugural "Man in The Mirror" Award, given to influential individuals who use their platforms for good. Harvey accepted the award presented by Prince Jackson, son ofMichael Jackson.[89]
Personal life
Harvey has been married three times and has seven children (four biological children and three stepchildren). From his first marriage to Marcia Harvey, Harvey has two daughters (twins Brandi and Karli) and a son (Broderick Stephen Jr.).[90][11][91] From his second marriage to Mary Shackelford, Harvey has a son named Wynton.[92][93][94] The couple divorced in November 2005.[95] In 2011, Judge Robert Dry, based in the 199th District Court inCollin County, Texas, expressed concern about Mary Harvey spreading false information about the divorce, with the judge suggesting that she had not been left materially destitute.[96][97]
In June 2007, Harvey married Marjorie Bridges, who he says is responsible for making him a better man and changing his life. Marjorie is a mother to three children (Morgan, Jason, andLori),[94] all of whom Steve adopted. They have five grandchildren: three through Jason's marriage to his wife Amanda, one through Morgan's marriage to her husband Kareem, and one through Karli's marriage to her husband Ben.[98] Through 2017, Harvey and his family divided their time betweenAtlanta, where his radio show was broadcast andFamily Feud was recorded, andChicago, where he hosted his talk show forNBCUniversal from the company'sChicago studios, although he would host his radio show there as well.[99] In 2018, Harvey moved his talk show, radio show, andFamily Feud to Los Angeles.[100]
In January 2017, Harvey was met with criticism from both within and outside of the black community for his decision to meet with then-President-electDonald Trump. He defended his decision, citing that it would help spark positive changes.[101]
Harvey is aChristian,[102] and has attributed his success to his faith in God.[103] Harvey is an advocate for religious harmony, expressing reverence especially toIslam, and the belief that "to get to heaven, there's gotta be more than one route."[104][105] Harvey also reports that he has followed avegan diet for health reasons and has presented the rationale for his diet on his TV program.[106]
^Davis, Rachaell (January 15, 2017)."Steve Harvey: 'I Won't Be At Anybody's Inauguration Because My Wife Said No'".Essence.Time Inc. RetrievedMay 21, 2017.Amid much backlash from in and outside of the Black community for agreeing to meet with Trump, Harvey later took to Twitter to defend his decision and insist that transition teams on both sides invited him there to spark conversation about making positive changes in inner cities.
The Power of Broke: How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage –Daymond John andDaniel Paisner (2016)
Rise and Grind: Outperform, Outwork, and Outhustle Your Way to a More Successful and Rewarding Life –Daymond John andDaniel Paisner (2018)
Your Next Level Life: 7 Rules of Power, Confidence, and Opportunity for Black Women in America – Karen Arrington, Joanna Price, and Sheryl Taylor (2019)
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