When people search for Wendy Williams’ relationship history, one name quietly surfaces before Kevin Hunter ever enters the picture. That name is Bert Girigorie, a Charlotte, North Carolina businessman who married Wendy in 1994 and divorced her in 1999. Most people overlook his story entirely. That’s a mistake.
Bert Girigorie’s biography is genuinely compelling on its own terms. He’s a Morehouse College graduate, a decorated sales and marketing expert, and a man who chose dignity over drama after a very public divorce. His life away from the media spotlight teaches something valuable about real success.
Profile Summary
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Bert Girigorie |
| Date of Birth | March 13, 1964 |
| Age | 61 Years Old |
| Place of Birth | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Height | 6’2″ |
| Profession | Sales and Marketing Expert |
| Net Worth | $700,000 |
| Relationship Status | Single |
| Notable For | First Husband of Wendy Williams |
| Education | Morehouse College |
Who is Bert Girigorie?
Bert Girigorie is a sales and marketing expert from Charlotte, North Carolina, best known publicly as Wendy Williams’ first husband. But labeling him purely as a celebrity spouse biography subject does him a real disservice. His professional business achievements and corporate sales career path stand entirely on their own merit.
He spent decades climbing the corporate ladder through genuine talent and hard work. His professional integrity reputation became well-established in his industry long before, and long after, his marriage to Wendy Williams. Colleagues respected him. Clients trusted him. That kind of reputation doesn’t happen by accident.
What makes Bert Girigorie genuinely interesting is the contrast he represents. While his ex-wife became a media personality with a massive public following, Bert deliberately chose a private lifestyle. He proves that success doesn’t need an audience. Sometimes the quietest stories carry the most weight.
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Early Life of Bert Girigorie
Bert Girigorie’s early life in Charlotte laid the foundation for everything he later achieved. Born on March 13, 1964, he grew up as the middle child in a close-knit family. His siblings, brother Bruce and sister Gabrielle, were constant companions. That family bond shaped his character in ways that would show up decades later in how he handled his divorce.
His Christian upbringing wasn’t decorative. Faith ran through the family’s daily life. His parents treated integrity as non-negotiable and education as the pathway to everything worth having. Family dinners frequently turned into goal-setting sessions. That kind of household produces disciplined adults, and Bert is a textbook example.
North Carolina upbringing gave Bert something that New York City money can’t buy: groundedness. He understood community, loyalty, and the value of showing up consistently. Those lessons followed him into every boardroom he ever walked into. His Christian family upbringing wasn’t just background detail, it was the engine driving his entire life philosophy.
Bert Girigorie Education
Bert Girigorie’s education history began at Williston Northampton School, where he demonstrated the academic focus that would define his future. He was a Williston Northampton School alumnus who took his studies seriously and built the habits that higher education would later reward generously.
From there, he enrolled at Morehouse College, and that choice matters enormously. Bert Girigorie’s Morehouse College education placed him among one of America’s most prestigious historically Black colleges, an institution famous for producing leaders across every sector. His Morehouse College graduate status isn’t just a credential. It’s a signal about the kind of thinker and professional he became.
His studies focused on business and marketing principles, the exact disciplines that would fuel his corporate career path for decades afterward. College also expanded his professional network significantly. The connections he built at Morehouse opened doors that his talent then walked through on its own. Education wasn’t a checkbox for Bert. It was a genuine investment in his future.
Entering the Professional World
Bert Girigorie’s sales career began without fanfare. He started at entry-level positions and learned the business from the ground up, no shortcuts, no famous connections pulling him forward. His marketing background was sharp from day one, but what really separated him was his instinct for people. He understood what customers actually needed, not just what they said they wanted.
His business revenue growth success became impossible to ignore quickly. In his first year, he reportedly grew company revenue by an impressive 40 percent. That’s not beginner’s luck, that’s talent meeting preparation. His customer loyalty leadership kept retention rates consistently above industry standards, which is the kind of achievement that builds lasting professional reputations.
By age 28, Bert was already leading teams and managing major corporate accounts. His leadership experience was real and earned. He adapted when market conditions shifted. He built systems that outlasted individual client relationships. His corporate leadership success reflected everything his Charlotte upbringing and Morehouse education had equipped him to become, a serious, capable professional who didn’t need celebrity adjacency to matter.
How Did Bert Girigorie Meet Wendy Williams?
The New York industry event meeting that brought these two together happened in 1989. Both were working in entertainment industry adjacent roles in New York City, Wendy building her radio career beginnings and Bert advancing his career in New York through sales and marketing work. The setting was electric and the connection was immediate.
Their personalities couldn’t have been more different. Wendy was bold, magnetic, and impossible to ignore in any room. Bert was measured, reserved, and quietly confident. That contrast drew them toward each other rather than pushing them apart. How did Bert Girigorie meet Wendy Williams? Through overlapping professional worlds and a natural chemistry that neither of them anticipated.
They dated for several years after that first meeting. The relationship deepened gradually and genuinely. Both were ambitious and career-driven. Both were building something important professionally. For a while, that shared drive created connection rather than competition. By the early 1990s, marriage felt like the natural next chapter, and in 1994, they took that step together.
Marriage to Wendy Williams
When did Wendy Williams marry Bert Girigorie? The answer is 1994, in a private ceremony wedding that kept the media entirely at arm’s length. The 1994 wedding ceremony reflected Bert’s preference for privacy even then. No grand public spectacle. Just a genuine commitment between two people with serious career momentum behind them.
The early years carried real promise. Wendy’s radio presence was growing fast. Bert’s professional reputation was solidifying. They supported each other’s ambitions and shared the excitement of two people ascending simultaneously. The Bert Girigorie marriage timeline looked bright from the outside, and for a while, it genuinely was from the inside too.
Here’s the problem with two extremely driven people sharing a marriage: careers can become competitors for attention and energy. The career-driven marriage struggles that emerged between 1995 and 1998 weren’t dramatic explosions at first. They were quiet erosions. Different schedules. Different priorities. Growing emotional distance that neither career success could paper over.
The Reasons for Divorce
Why did Bert and Wendy divorce? Bert himself addressed this question with more candor than most people in his position would. He admitted he genuinely didn’t understand Wendy’s behavior and motivations during certain periods of their marriage. There was a significant blowup, a defining confrontation that functionally ended what they’d built together.
The celebrity marriage breakdown between them wasn’t purely about busy schedules, though those absolutely contributed. Bert hinted at deeper personal issues without spelling them out publicly, a respectful restraint that speaks to his character. The relationship differences and priorities they struggled with ran deeper than career conflicts alone.
What stands out about the Bert Girigorie divorce story is what didn’t happen. No public warfare. No tabloid mudslinging. No bitter financial disputes dragging through courts. Their amicable divorce agreement and 1999 divorce settlement reflected maturity from both sides. The Bert Girigorie separation in 1998 led to a divorce finalized 1999, and both parties moved forward without burning each other down publicly.
Life After the Divorce
Bert Girigorie’s life after Wendy Williams became defined by one deliberate choice: privacy. He returned to Charlotte, buried himself in his professional work and built a quiet post-divorce life that the media couldn’t penetrate because he simply refused to participate in that world. No interviews. No reality TV. No vengeful tell-all books.
His private lifestyle wasn’t avoidance, it was clarity. He understood what mattered to him. His career. His family connections. His integrity. The life away from media spotlight that he constructed protected his mental health and professional focus simultaneously. He proved that life after high-profile divorce doesn’t have to involve public humiliation or constant media commentary.
Is Bert Girigorie remarried? No. His current relationship status remains single. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, his hometown, his anchor. His Bert Girigorie current residence reflects his broader philosophy: return to what’s real, stay grounded and build from solid foundations rather than chasing spectacle.
Wendy Williams Married Once Again
Wendy Williams’ marriage history continued quickly after her divorce from Bert. In 1997, before the divorce from Bert was even finalized, she married Kevin Hunter. The Wendy Williams and Kevin Hunter marriage initially appeared promising. He became deeply embedded in her career as well as her personal life.
The Kevin Hunter marriage details grew complicated over time. He fathered a child with another woman while married to Wendy, a betrayal that became very public and very painful. Wendy Williams’ divorce from Kevin Hunter played out dramatically, including the now-legendary moment when she reportedly served him papers while on her own television show. Twenty-one years of marriage ended with maximum public exposure.
Their son Kevin Hunter Jr., born in 2000, represents the lasting connection between them. Kevin Hunter Jr.’s family background sits at the intersection of celebrity and complicated private reality. Wendy Williams’ relationship history ultimately spans two very different marriages, one quiet and dignified, one loud and turbulent. The contrast between how her marriages to Bert and Kevin ended tells you something significant about all three people involved.
Legacy and Public Image
Bert Girigorie’s public image is built on something rare in celebrity-adjacent culture: genuine professional achievement combined with consistent personal integrity. His legacy in business didn’t come from name recognition. It came from decades of delivering real results for real companies with real clients who trusted him.
The respect in business industry that Bert earned reflects his approach to every professional relationship. He didn’t coast on his connection to a famous woman. He competed on merit and won repeatedly. His professional integrity reputation remains intact precisely because he never leveraged his celebrity-adjacent status for shortcuts or publicity.
What Americans can learn from Bert Girigorie’s choices is surprisingly straightforward. Fame is loud and demanding and ultimately hollow without substance underneath it. His private life after divorce demonstrates that recovering from public setbacks requires turning inward, not outward. His story challenges how this culture typically measures success, and offers a genuinely better metric.
Bert Girigorie’s Net Worth
Bert Girigorie’s net worth in 2026 sits at approximately $700,000. That figure represents something important: financial independence built entirely through legitimate professional work. No settlements. No celebrity partnerships. No viral moments monetized for quick cash. Just decades of disciplined corporate sales career advancement.
His financial success reflects the compounding effect of consistent professional excellence. Starting from entry-level positions and growing to team leadership and major account management, each step added to his financial foundation. His Bert Girigorie net worth $700,000 is modest by celebrity standards but impressive by any honest professional measurement.
He keeps his financial story genuinely private. No public discussions of investments, spending, or wealth management strategies. This privacy is entirely consistent with his broader approach to life. His financial independence story proves a simple point: you don’t need fame to build security. You need discipline, skill and the willingness to show up every single day and do excellent work.
FAQ’s
Who is Bert Girigorie?
Bert Girigorie is a successful sales and marketing professional from Charlotte, North Carolina, best known as Wendy Williams’ first husband, married in 1994.
How did Bert Girigorie meet Wendy Williams?
They met at a New York industry event in 1989. Both worked in entertainment-adjacent fields and dated several years before marrying in 1994.
Why did Bert Girigorie and Wendy Williams divorce?
Career pressures, different life priorities, and a significant relationship blowup drove them apart. Their divorce was finalized amicably in 1999 after separating in 1998.
What is Bert Girigorie’s net worth?
Bert Girigorie’s net worth is approximately $700,000, built entirely through decades of dedicated work in sales and marketing, not celebrity connections or settlements.
Where is Bert Girigorie now?
Bert Girigorie currently lives privately in Charlotte, North Carolina. He remains single, continues working in sales and marketing, and deliberately stays away from public attention.
Conclusion
Bert Girigorie is far more than Wendy Williams’ first husband, though that’s how most people discover him. He’s a Morehouse College graduate, a sales and marketing expert with genuine corporate achievements, and a man whose quiet post-divorce life demonstrates remarkable personal strength. His story is about choosing substance over spectacle consistently and deliberately.
His Bert Girigorie biography ultimately stands as proof that real success doesn’t require an audience. From his Christian family upbringing in Charlotte to his amicable 1999 divorce settlement, every chapter reflects a man who understood his own values deeply. That clarity is genuinely rare, and genuinely worth knowing about.
Nathan Cole writer at BlessingsShine, dedicated to creating heartfelt blessings, prayers, and inspirational messages that uplift and guide readers. With years of experience, he blends empathy, spiritual insight, and practical wisdom to help people find comfort, positivity, and clarity in everyday life. Nathan’s work is designed to inspire hope, strengthen connections, and provide meaningful words that readers can use in personal reflection or to share with others.