Matt Williams is making waves after he and Erika Monroe Williams announced getting divorced in September 2023 after being together since 2003 when they got married. With this divorce, it will bring his record of ex-wives to three. He was previously married to Tracie Duncan between 1989 and 1997, followed by Michelle Johnson. Aside from being a media item due to three marriages, Williams who is also known as Matt the Bat is a baseball manager and former third baseman.
Through his career exploits as a player, Williams made a name for himself playing for teams like the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks. Though he has enjoyed a long career in sports, his colorful marriages have made his life interesting.
Matt Williams was Married to Tracie Duncan for 8 Years (1989-1997)
The former professional baseball player got married to Tracie Duncan in 1989, two years after he made his professional debut. At the time they met, Tracie was convinced that Matt was a family man. Obviously, Matt also couldn’t wait to get married to her. Reportedly, he pulled out of the 1989 Triple-A- All-Star Game so he could tie the knot with Tracie.
During the marriage, the pair kept their relationship away from the public eye while Williams built his career in NBL. They welcomed three children, a son, Jacob, and two daughters, Rachel and Alysha. Notably, Williams and Tracie showed a deep commitment to being present in their children’s lives.
As a celebrity couple, they had a seemingly good marriage with no scandal. However, things soon changed when Tracie filed for divorce in 1997. This was shortly after Matt was traded to the Cleveland Indians. Though he had enjoyed many wins with the San Francisco Giants, the news of the trading was quite shocking but this was not the only thing that would change in his life. It turns out that Tracie was in love with someone else.
Following the divorce, Tracie moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. Based on the arrangement, Matt has visitation rights which he tried to do by having a separate residence.
Reportedly, the divorce affected Matt deeply and in 2001, he paid Anthony Pellicano, a private detective the sum of $25,000 to investigate Tracie because he was scared for the safety of his children.
Aside from his fears, the divorce affected him so much that it made some of his colleagues concerned. Moreso, he had built a life around his family with the hope that they may be together with Tracie till a time they travel to different parts of the world after the kids had grown up.
The Former Baseman’s Shortest Marriage was with Michelle Johnson (1999-2002)
Despite the failure of his first marriage, the former baseball player gave love a chance again when he got married to Michelle Johnson in 1999. Unlike his previous wife who lived quietly in the background, Johnson enjoyed fame as an actress. Johnson started her career as a model for brands like Wilhelmina Models. Through this, she was spotted and featured in the film Blame It on Rio. For the next couple of years, she built a name for herself by taking more movie roles.
Focusing on Williams and Johnson’s marriage, the two did not welcome any children together. More on the marriage, Michelle remained in Los Angeles to continue building her career while Williams remained in Arizona to play for the Diamonds.
Though there is a popular adage that says distance makes the heart fonder, in their case, this was the reverse. Based on the testimony he gave during the Pellicano wiretapping trial in 2008, we gathered that their being apart left a strain on the marriage.
Apparently, Pellicano was under trial for a criminal enterprise that thrived on spying on the lives of Hollywood’s famous people. Unsurprisingly, Williams who had used Pellicano in the past was called as a witness by the prosecutors. He claimed to have refused Pellicano’s offer to tap Michelle’s phone number. Despite his stance, the marriage did not survive and they divorced in 2002.
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Erika Monroe Williams Filed For Divorce from Matt Williams After 20 Years of Marriage (2003-2023)
According to reports given by celebrity gossip site TMZ, Erika filed for divorce in September 2023. Per the same source, she sought the dissolution of her marriage in a Los Angeles court and also demanded spousal support.
Prior, Williams got married to the news anchor in 2003. During the marriage, they welcomed one child, a daughter named Madi Monroe Williams. Aside from sharing a daughter, they also found many ways to collaborate together. In 2007, they co-hosted the DBacks on Deck, a weekend pregame show for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Following the announcement of their divorce, it marks the end of his longest marriage.
