Look Back at Garcelle Beauvais' Star-Studded Relationship History
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member has a number of very famous exes.
Long before Garcelle Beauvais joined The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills as a cast member in Season 10 (which premiered in April 2020), she was a successful actress and model who mixed and mingled with some of the most famous faces in Hollywood — and dated quite a few other celebrities.
Among Garcelle’s famous exes are Michael Jordan, Eddie Murphy, and Will Smith. Plus, she was married twice: first to Daniel Saunders from 1991 to 2000; and then to Michael Nilon from 2001 to 2011.
These days, she is single and dating, but she’s mostly focused on spending time with her family.
Here’s what to know about Garcelle's past relationships.
Who was Garcelle Beauvais' first husband?
Garcelle’s first marriage was to British actor and producer Daniel Saunders, according to Heavy.
The two were married in 1991 and split in 2000. Together, they share son Oliver Saunders.
Who was Garcelle Beauvais' second husband?
Following her divorce from Saunders, Garcelle married Michael Nilon in 2001. The pair share sons Jax and Jaid Nilon, but divorced in 2011.
"We were sort of like the Hollywood couple. I'm an actress, he's an agent. We would go to fabulous parties, we've got these two beautiful boys," Garcelle said in Season 10, Episode 2. "Mike was reliable. He was sweet. I really thought this was my last stop."
However, after finding texts with another woman on her husband’s phone, everything changed. "I'm a hothead," she said. "So that night I wrote an email to friends and colleagues at Mike's work, and the subject was, 'What does Tiger Woods, Jesse James, and Mike Nilon have in common?' And that email got leaked to the press."
Garcelle Beauvais and Michael Jordan
In 2022, Garcelle appeared on an episode of If We’re Being Honest with Laverne Cox and she spilled the details of one of her previous work projects, which involved basketball legend Michael Jordan.
“I showed up on set and there he was,” she recalled after admitting that, since this was back in the 1980s, she didn’t know who he was until her brother filled her in. “And he was so nice. A tall chocolate man… and we hit it off. He was great.”
“We went and had dinner and he invited me to Hawaii,” Garcelle continued, laughing. “And I was like, ‘I don’t know you, I’m not going to Hawaii with you.’ And yeah, that was it.”
Garcelle Beauvais and Eddie Murphy
On the same episode of If We’re Being Honest with Laverne Cox, Garcelle commented on previously dating actor Eddie Murphy.
“Oh, every girl on the set of Coming to America was feening for Eddie Murphy,” Garcelle said of the film in which she appeared with Murphy, “and we dated… It was off and on. It was a while. He’s lovely.”
Garcelle Beauvais and Will Smith
In Season 12, Episode 8, Garcelle opened up about previously dating Will Smith — who is the ex-husband of her now-friend Sheree Zampino.
"OK, so let's get this straight. It was after the divorce with Sheree," she said of her relationship with the actor and comedian. “I didn't know Sheree then. So that's why we can be cool."
Garcelle Beauvais and Michael Elliot
Garcelle first confirmed her relationship with screenwriter Michael Elliot in December 2019 with an Instagram post of the pair captioned “date night.”
The duo walked the red carpet hand-in-hand at the Jumanji: The Next Level premiere that same month.
However, the relationship was short-lived: By February 2020, Garcelle revealed their breakup on Instagram writing: “Plot twist… I’m single.”
Garcelle Beauvais shared an update on her love life at BravoCon 2023
“The love life — I’m working on it,” Garcelle shared during a BravoCon panel in Las Vegas in October 2023. “What I try to do is prioritize what’s really important to me, and although I would love to have a partner and I go out on dates, I have a small window with my [sons] and it’s really important.”
