Who Is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Ex-wife?

Wife: Janice "Habiba" Brown

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s ex-wife, Habiba Abdul-Jabbar, was born Janice Brown. She converted to Islam when she married Kareem in 1971, adopting the name Habiba. Their wedding, conducted in Washington D.C. according to Islamic customs, caused tension between Habiba and her Christian parents, who were not allowed to attend the ceremony due to religious differences.

Habiba and Kareem had three children together: Habiba Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Jr., and Sultana Abdul-Jabbar. Despite separating in 1973, they officially divorced in 1978, although they had continued having children even after their separation. One of the contributing factors to their divorce was Kareem's relationship with Cheryl Pistono, who encouraged him to end the marriage.

Relationships

After his divorce from Habiba, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had several relationships, though he never remarried. In the late 1970s, he began dating Cheryl Pistono, with whom he had a son named Amir Abdul-Jabbar. Amir later pursued a career in medicine, becoming an orthopedic surgeon. Additionally, Kareem had another son, Adam Abdul-Jabbar, from his relationship with Julie Olds. Over the years, Kareem has remained focused on his career, family, and social activism, choosing not to remarry after his relationships ended.