Terrence Howard has been married and divorced multiple times over the course of his life.
Though the actor never balks at discussing other people’s scandals, he has enough controversy of his own to last several lifetimes.
People may laugh or wince over “Terryology” or his outlandish statements. His more personal controversies, those regarding his relationships, are much more serious.
Let’s take a look at the ups and downs of his marital history.
Terrence Howard announces lawsuit against CAA over “Empire” salary at The Cochran Firm on December 08, 2023. (Photo Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
How many times has Terrence Howard been married?
Terrence Howard, who was born in 1969 and has starred in Iron Man, Law & Order: LA, and Empire, has been married four times.
Those four marriages featured three women. If he marries a fifth time, the number of women who have been his wife might not change, either. (We’ll explain)
Terrence has five children in total. Three of them, two daughters and a son, are with his first wife, Lori McCommas.
In 1993, Terrence Howard married Lori McCommas, his first wife. But their relationship was more complex than that.
The two of them ultimately divorced in 2001 (filing in 2000) … but reconciled, remarrying in 2005.
Clearly, their second marriage did not last either. They filed for divorce in 2006, finalizing their divorce in 2007. Presumably, they will not repeat this cycle again.
Terrence Howard attends Peacock’s “The Best Man: The Final Chapters” premiere event at Hollywood Athletic Club on December 07, 2022. (Photo Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Then came Terrence Howard’s third marriage, second wife, and third divorce
In 2010, Terrence Howard married Michelle Ghent. This makes her simultaneously his second wife and his third wife, depending upon one’s point of view. (That is, this was his third marriage but his second spouse)
Unfortunately, this relationship is where things take a grim turn.
In 2011, Michelle Ghent filed for a restraining order against Howard.
Ghent accused him of domestic abuse. They finalized their divorce in 2013, a year and a half after she filed for the protective order.
According to Michelle Ghent’s account in court, Terrence Howard had caused her physical injuries that required medical attention.
She also told the court that her then-husband stalked her through the phone and online, and had once broken her computer in half.
Terrence Howard stars in a new ad campaign for Tubi, the worlds largest free movie and TV streaming service on October 14, 2019. (Photo Credit: Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Tubi)
Michelle Ghent was not the first wife to accuse Terrence Howard of domestic violence
Grimly, her allegations echoed a report that came out in 2009. The Smoking Gun reported on Terrence Howard’s 2001 arrest for numerous charges stemming from a violent attack on Lori McCommas.
He allegedly broke doors in her home, chased her into the backyard, and punched her until his own brother intervened. Howard ultimately pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of disturbing the peace.
In a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, Terrence Howard admitted to hitting his first wife in 2001. “She was talking to me real strong, and I lost my mind and slapped her in front of the kids,” he said, confessing to domestic violence but characterizing the assault differently than his ex had.
In late 2013, Terrence Howard married his third wife, Mira Pak. The two share two sons, whom they welcomed in 2015 and in 2016.
Howard and Pak quietly divorced in 2015. However, three years later, in 2018, he proposed again.
Though there are no public indications that they remarried, she has been a frequent “plus one” with him to events. Given their history of keeping certain relationship details under wraps, it is possible that they could remarry or split up without immediately making the news public.
Terrence Howard Divorced: His Complicated Marital History, Explained was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.