Jennifer Montana is widely recognized as the wife of the legendary quarterback and NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana. However, Jennifer stands tall as an accomplished former model and an entrepreneur in her own right.
Starting her journey as a model, she encountered the NFL great during an ad film shoot back in the 1980s, and the rest has been history. The couple began dating right after their shooting was over and at present they have been married for over 39 years and are proud parents of four kids.
Let’s delve into the life of Jennifer in this article below.
Jennifer Montana’s Early Life and Parents – Her Father Died of Heart Condition
Jen was born Jennifer Sharon Wallace on July 7, 1958, in New Eagle, Pennsylvania. She is 65 years old as of 2024.
There’s little to no info about her parents and early life. Having said that, we do know that her father died of a heart attack at the age of 60.
A Look At Her Career in Modeling and Acting
Born and brought up in Pennsylvania, Jennifer moved to Los Angeles to pursue modeling. In her starting days, she worked on several commercials. It was in her modeling days she met her current husband Joe.
Besides, she also got some starts as an actress. She is known for her appearance on Adventures with Kanga Roddy.
Moreover, she is also noted for her appearance on Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit ’99, where she appeared alongside her hubby.
She Is a Jewelry Designer and Entrepreneur
The former model and actress left her first passion following her marriage to Montana in the mid-1980s. She got busy taking care of her children for a long time after that. And as her hands got free from most of her motherly duties, she explored her other interests. And she has become a jewelry designer.
Besides, she is also an interior designer and artist specializing in ceramics and painting. She has more than twenty years of experience in interior design and is the owner of Jennifer Montana Design (JMD). As written on its official website, JMD is an independent residential interior design business based in San Francisco, California.
Talking about her passion for art, she said, “From the time I was young, I’ve always been fascinated by creative expression.”
Montana Is Actively Involved in Charity
The Montanas strongly believe in giving back to society. The husband and wife have been running a charity foundation called “Four Rings Montana Family Foundation.” The foundation aims to help children in the San Francisco Bay Area.
According to the reports, approximately 80% of the profits generated by Jennifer Montana Design go to the foundation.
Jennifer and Joe Got Married in 1985
Jen and Joe tied the knot on February 24, 1985, after dating for around a year or so. Although Montana was a two-time Super Bowl champion with the San Francisco 49ers at the time he and Jennifer got married, he was able to keep their marriage low-key.
Given that the NFL season was over when they tied the knot, the newly married went on their honeymoon straight away. They spent their honeymoon skiing in Utah and snorkeling off Virgin Gorda.
A Closer Look At Their Early Day Romance – Jennifer Didn’t Know Who Montana Was
Jennifer was an up-and-coming actress and model in California when she got an offer for a Schick razor commercial in 1984. She had already done a number of commercials beforehand, and she never thought of her co-stars as her potential love interests.
On top of that, she was oblivious to who Joe Montana was before she got the project. So, there was no way she thought of him as her future partner. But at least, she was happy that she finally got to work with someone as tall as her. Jennifer recalled,
I didn’t know who he was. It was my agent who told me you’re going to be working with Joe Montana. I said ‘Who’s Joe Montana?’
When she met him, she found him charming, perhaps because of his shyness. She even helped him get more comfortable with her before their shooting.
By the time they finished their shooting, Montana mustered up the courage to ask Jennifer out to dinner. Hence started their journey as a couple.
Joe’s Proposal Came As a Surprise to Jen
Just six months into their relationship, Joe popped the big question to his then-girlfriend Jennifer. The two were on a dinner date when Joe wrote a question on the check. “What would you say if I asked you to spend the rest of your life with me?” read Joe’s words.
Joe’s proposal, however, didn’t go as planned. Jennifer didn’t have a concrete answer to his question as she hadn’t thought of settling down so soon in their relationship.
His Second Proposal
After getting held on the edge in his first proposal, the former quarterback had to do something extraordinary to get an answer in his favor. And that was exactly what he did for his second proposal.
When they were on a dinner date, Montana hired a plane to carry the message “Jen, will you marry me?” This time Jennifer responded with a “Yes” and the two became engaged officially.
Jennifer Montana Has Four Children with Husband Joe
Married for 39 years, Jennifer and Joe Montana have four children together. The husband and wife welcomed their first child, daughter Alexandra Montana on October 10, 1985. Just over a year after the birth of their first child, Jennifer gave birth to the couple’s second daughter, Elizabeth Montana on December 20, 1986.
Besides the two girls, the Montanas have two sons, Nate and Nick. They welcomed their first son, Nathaniel “Nate” Joseph on October 3, 1989, and the lovebirds’ fourth child, Nicholas “Nick” Alexander was born on April 28, 1992. Both of their sons played college football, however, were unable to make their impact at the biggest level i.e., the NFL.
She Was In The News For Saving Her Grandchild From Being Kidnapped
Back in September 2020, Jennifer Montana was all over the news for saving her grandchild from being taken away from a woman. According to the reports, an unidentified woman entered their residence and took the then 9-month-old baby from a playpen, where the child was sleeping.
According to a statement from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, Jennifer and her husband Joe confronted the suspect, attempted to de-escalate the situation, and asked her to give back their grandchild. The statement read:
A tussle ensued and Mrs. Montana was able to safely pry the child out of the suspect’s arms.
The woman then fled the scene after which the former quarterback reported to the deputies from the Lost Hills Sherrif’s Station about the incident. Afterward, a woman named Sodsai Dalzell was arrested.
Jennifer’s Spouse, Joe Was Married Twice Before
Before the former footballer found the love of his life, Jennifer, he was married twice. His first wife, Kim Moses, was a high school sweetheart. The duo began dating in high school and got married in 1974. Their marriage ended in 1977.
After that, Joe started dating former flight attendant Cass Castillo in 1979. They got married in 1981 and got divorced after three years in 1984. Joe doesn’t have any children from his previous two marriages.
