‘Keep Your Damn Mouth Shut’: Steve Harvey Revealing the Secret to Having a Long-Lasting Marriage Backfires
During a 2022 appearance on “The Talk,” comedian Steve Harvey dropped a bombshell of marital wisdom that left both hosts and viewers simultaneously laughing and scratching their heads.
Many view Harvey as a relationship guru due to giving advice about dating, marriage and more, using his third and longest marriage as evidence.
His advice for men hoping to maintain a marriage beyond 15 years like him? Simple: “Keep your damn mouth shut. Just shut up. Don’t say nothing. It’s best don’t say nothing.”
The “Family Feud” host went on to add, “There ain’t no trying to fix it. That way you ain’t got to fix.”
When one of the show’s hosts Akbar Gbajabiamila asked, “What if you’re right?” Harvey’s response was instantaneous.
“What? What did he say? What did you say?” he exclaimed, then asking, “Are you married? You actually said? What is you right? When?”
As Gbajabiamila insisted that “sometimes” he is right, Harvey retorted, now in full hysteria, “What? Boy, your dumb ass ain’t gonna make 15. I can tell you that right now.”
Unbeknownst to Harvey, Gbajabiamila has been married to Chrystal Gbajabiamila for 19 years — two years longer than the “Kings of Comedy” star’s marriage.
“The Talk” posted the resurfaced interview clip on its Instagram page, where its followers adored his candor about keeping the peace in a marriage.
“Tell em Steve!!!!” one person quipped, while another viewer wrote, “This is the funniest interview ever I can’t stop laughing.”
One lady supported his message, writing, “He’s right.”
But not everyone is buying his advice. When The Art of Dialogue posted it online, many on social media chimed in suggesting the wrong message was coming from the wrong guy.
“Steve love promoting BETA male advice,” one person wrote.
Another commented, “Stamp ‘SUCKA’ on his forhead,” while someone else added, “This is a clown service. Steve Harvey is the last person to listen to about marriage. THE LAST.”
The most scathing critique came from a comment that cut straight to the heart of Harvey’s complicated romantic history, “So did he keep his mouth shut when he left his first wife for his mistress, or when he left his mistress for his 3rd wife? Or was he thinking like a man. Im confused.”
Another implied, “I bet Steve has a miserable marriage. How are you supposed to lead your woman if you can’t talk to her?”
This woman has given me the absolute best years of my life happy anniversary darling ….I love you Marjorie pic.twitter.com/3yTOtoN4Yi
— Steve Harvey (@IAmSteveHarvey) June 24, 2024
Harvey’s marital journey is indeed a true Hollywood story, rich with divorce, heartbreak, a bunch of kids and drama.
His first marriage to Marcia lasted 14 years, ending in 1994 during the early struggles of his comedy career. They had three children: twin daughters Morgan and Karli, 36, and son Broderick Harvey Jr., 32. While the kids were young, Harvey often left Marcia to handle most of the parenting responsibilities.
Harvey’s second marriage to Mary Shackelford was even more tumultuous. They welcomed son Wynton in 1997 but ended their relationship in divorce in 2005. The breakup was messy, with Mary claiming Harvey essentially abandoned the family as his career took off. Harvey cheated during both marriages according to past rumors.
But everything changed with Marjorie Harvey, (formerly Bridges) his third and current wife, whom he married in 2007. However, their relationship has also been marred by cheating rumors and accusations Marjorie had an affair with Steve’s bodyguard and private chef.
As an old girlfriend who re-entered his life after her second marriage, Marjorie brought her own children into a relationship: Jason, 35, Morgan, 36, and Lori, 26.
The couple has worked incredibly hard to unite their sometimes, complicated yet blended family, where the girls didn’t like each other, into a seemingly tight-knit, supportive unit that regularly celebrates each other’s achievements and travels on expensive vacations around the world.
The couple has worked incredibly hard to create a genuinely unified family, turning what was once a complicated blended situation, where the girls didn’t like each other, into a seemingly tight-knit, supportive unit that regularly celebrates each other’s achievements and travels on expensive vacations around the world.
Most of the time, while the family is traveling, fans notice that Harvey’s twin daughters often miss the trips. While people say it’s because they are busy working, no one from the family has given a reason to the public.
The standup comic’s transformation from a twice-divorced celebrity to a relationship guru is also bolstered by his popular morning radio show’s “Strawberry Letter” segment.
Harvey’s bestselling book, “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man,” is also instrumental in him appearing to be an authority on relationships. By openly discussing his marital missteps, he created a narrative of personal growth that resonates with millions.
But not everyone is listening, as demonstrated by a memorable exchange with actress Keke Palmer from 2019. During a clip from “The Steve Harvey Show,” he attempted to give her dating advice, saying, “Uncle Steve ain’t trying to get you with no billionaire. He’s trying to get you with somebody that has a plan to have something.”
Palmer laughed, admitting she had tried dating billionaires but it turned out horribly.
“You need somebody with something,” Harvey explained. “Quit trying to give a boy your lifestyle and he ain’t earned it.”
When Palmer pushed back, arguing that “all men, rich or poor, can be crummy and have ‘just as much baggage’ as the next man,” Harvey insisted a deeper lesson must be learned and she would get it if she listened to him.
A fourth social media comment captured the complex feelings perfectly, “Knock it Off!! Don’t no real woman want a push over! Stop giving bad advice.”
Whether you find his advice hilarious, offensive, or somewhere in between, one thing is certain: Steve Harvey knows how to keep people talking.
From a struggling comedian to a multi-platform relationship expert, he’s managed to turn his own personal struggles into a universal conversation about love, compromise, and communication.
With three marriages under his belt and a bestselling book, he continues to offer relationship advice — and fans are going to still listen.