Who was Jeff Gordon’s ex-wife Brooke Sealey? Everything you need to know

Many professionals noted Jeff Gordon's rise in the Cup Series as he climbed the ranks, winning the Rookie of the Season award and his first championship during his third season. Around the same time, he matched eyes with NASCAR's Winston Model, Brooke Sealey.

Sealey was the Winston model, and as a rule that persisted, no NASCAR drivers could date her. Despite this, Gordon and Sealey found themselves sneaking around. The latter then ended her time with Winston, which allowed the couple to make their relationship public and they got married in 1994.

Brooke Sealey had been doing good as a model. She was one of the most recognized faces in and out of NASCAR, after joining hands with Winston. After their marriage, the couple was seemingly happy, but that did not last long, and neither did Sealey's appearance in the limelight.

A tough fate followed Jeff Gordon and Brooke Sealey's marriage as she filed for divorce in 2002, eight years into their marriage. While a divorce might not come as shocking for a couple, it ended in a particularly bad shape for both. The demands that followed and the drama that it created remain a dark spot in Gordon's celebrated NASCAR career.

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How did Jeff Gordon and Brooke Sealey's marriage end dreadfully?

No divorces are good, but Gordon and Sealey faced a particularly tough time. Sealey's filing for a divorce came as a shock to most people as their marriage was supposed to be a successful one.

She did not give a clear reason, but it did mention 'irretrievably broken as a result of her husband’s marital misconduct.' While she gained sympathy in the public eye as Gordon was blamed for reported adultery, things went against her as she raised her demands during the divorce.

Sealey demanded a private jet, the right to use their boats, and two cars, topped off with an alimony payment.

The drama heightened during the season-opening Daytona 500 in 2003 when Sealey's attorney Terry Young went to the event. He served the legal papers to Jeff Gordon's colleagues to find out his net worth. Meanwhile, Gordon's lawyer filed his worth at $48 million.

The divorce took over 16 months to settle and was finalized in June 2003. The division of the assets was not publically disclosed but Sealey received a whopping $15.3 million from the settlement.

Jeff Gordon married Ingrid Vandebosch in 2006 and has stayed with her since. Meanwhile, Brooke Sealey first married James Dixon before splitting with him, too (she received monthly $10,000 in alimony, a $1.5 million house, and a Mercedes from that divorce). She then settled with Mullins McLeod and has stayed out of the limelight.