Today, he is a celebrated figure and has seven grandchildren!

Steve Harvey is one of America’s most recognizable entertainers — a comedian, host, author, and now, a style icon. But his path to fame was anything but smooth. Behind the laughter and the sharp suits lies a story of grit, faith, and perseverance — a man who went from sleeping in his car to becoming one of the most beloved figures on television, with a net worth in the hundreds of millions and a family that includes seven grandchildren.

Humble Beginnings

Born Broderick Steven Harvey on January 17, 1957, in Welch, West Virginia, Steve was the youngest of five children in a working-class family. His father, Jesse Harvey, was a coal miner; his mother, Eloise, a homemaker. From an early age, Steve faced challenges that could have crushed his confidence — most notably, a severe stutter.

In sixth grade, his teacher asked the class to write down their dream jobs. Steve proudly wrote that he wanted to be an entertainer. But instead of encouragement, the teacher laughed and mocked him in front of everyone, even calling his mother to suggest her son should “dream more realistically.”

That humiliation could’ve ended his ambitions, but it didn’t. “Every year that teacher was alive,” Harvey later told Oprah Winfrey, “I sent her a TV for Christmas. I wanted her to see me.”

With help from a kind local deli owner who taught him how to slow his speech and breathe through his words, Harvey gradually overcame his stutter. His sense of humor — and the courage to stand up in front of people — became his saving grace.

Struggling to Survive

After high school, Harvey attended West Virginia University, but left before graduating. He drifted between odd jobs — selling insurance, cleaning carpets, even working as a postman. None of them fulfilled him. Then, in 1985, at age 28, he tried stand-up comedy for the first time. That night, he won $50 in a local competition — a small amount that changed his life.

“I quit my job the next day,” he said. “I told my boss I was going to be a comedian. He told me, ‘Steve, you’re not even funny.’”

The early years were brutal. Harvey earned just $3,000 his first year in comedy. He and his first wife, Marcia, divorced, and he lost contact with his daughters. With little money and nowhere to live, he spent three years homeless, surviving out of his 1976 Ford Tempo.

He showered in rest stop bathrooms, stored food in a small cooler, and stole gas to make it to gigs. At one point, he broke down crying in a hotel restroom, exhausted and hopeless. “I heard a voice,” he recalled. “It said, ‘If you keep going, I’m going to take you places you’ve never been.’ That was God talking to me.”

He kept going.

The Breakthrough

In 1990, Harvey got his big break on “Showtime at the Apollo”, the legendary Harlem variety show. He quickly became the host, holding that job for seven years. The exposure led to his hit sitcom, “The Steve Harvey Show,” which ran from 1996 to 2002 and made him a household name.

He starred opposite Cedric the Entertainer, who later joined him in the Kings of Comedy tour alongside Bernie Mac and D.L. Hughley. Their 2000 film, The Original Kings of Comedy, directed by Spike Lee, was a box office success and cemented Harvey as one of the country’s leading comedians.

But Steve didn’t stop there. He launched The Steve Harvey Morning Show, which became one of the most successful syndicated radio programs in the U.S., and later hosted Family Feud, turning it into a viral sensation. His reactions to contestants’ outrageous answers became internet gold, spreading his fame far beyond American audiences.

Family, Faith, and Reinvention

For all his success, Harvey has never forgotten his lowest moments. “It was ugly,” he once said. “I had nothing. But the one thing I never lost was my faith.”

He’s been married three times, and since 2007, he’s shared his life with Marjorie Bridges Harvey, the woman he credits for transforming his personal life. Together, they’ve blended their families and now have seven grandchildren.

Faith and family remain the foundation of everything he does. His journey from a car to a mansion, from a stutter to a microphone, is one he never takes for granted. “Every success I have,” he said, “is because God gave me a second chance.”

A New Era: The Style Icon

In recent years, Steve Harvey has reinvented himself once again — this time as a global fashion figure. Long known for his oversized suits from the early 2000s, Harvey ditched them for sleek, modern looks that rival any runway model.

It started when his wife and stylist Elly Karamoh decided to overhaul his image. “It was strange,” Harvey told GQ, “because I’ve always dressed like this when I’m not working. I just never got photographed outside the studio.”

After appearing at the NFL Honors in a striking modern suit, producers at Celebrity Family Feud encouraged him to dress that way on-air. “That opened the door,” he said. “They took the shackles off and said I didn’t have to look like a typical game show host anymore.”

Now, Harvey rocks luxury labels like Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, and Fendi. His bold color choices, fitted designs, and confident posture have made him a viral fashion icon. Social media regularly erupts with his outfit photos, many of which rival those of men half his age.

“I’m 64,” Harvey said. “I’m not trying to look young — I’m trying to look fly.”

And yet, one thing remains sacred: his mustache. “You talk about taking off my mustache,” he joked, “you’re fired. That mustache is staying. Without it, I look like my face is missing a wall.”

Lessons from a Hard Road

Even with his fame and estimated $200 million net worth, Harvey remains grounded. “If I could get back the money I lost in bad investments,” he once told Good Housekeeping, “I could quit today. But my best investment has been in people. That return has been greater than any check.”

He doesn’t sugarcoat success, either. “The road to success is always under construction,” he said. “Every time you think you’ve made it, there’s another hill to climb. But that’s the blessing — it keeps you moving.”

From the Streets to Stardom

Steve Harvey’s story isn’t just about fame — it’s about faith, perseverance, and reinvention. It’s about a man who turned rejection into fuel, who faced humiliation and homelessness and still believed his dream was possible.

Today, he stands as a living testament to what happens when determination meets divine timing. He’s a comedian who made the world laugh, a host who turned game shows into entertainment events, a businessman, and now, a fashion trendsetter.

But ask him what matters most, and he won’t mention the TV shows, the bestsellers, or the designer suits. “It’s my faith and my family,” he said. “Everything else — the fame, the fortune — that’s just extra.”

At 68, Steve Harvey isn’t slowing down. With seven grandchildren, a global audience, and a career that keeps evolving, he’s living proof that no matter how rough the road, success is possible if you keep your eyes on the vision — and your heart in the right place.

As he once said to a crowd of young dreamers, “Your setback is just a setup for your comeback.”

For Steve Harvey, that comeback turned into a legacy.