Who Is Marita Stavrou? The Fascinating Life Story of the Actress Once Married to an NBA Legend
Marita Stavrou is an American actress and former wife of Indiana Pacers star Reggie Miller, and her story draws attention for two reasons: a short screen career in the late 1980s and 1990s, and a highly public divorce that ended in April 2001. Fans of NBA history often search her name to learn how she met Miller, why the marriage failed and what she does today. This article answers those questions using published profiles, sports coverage and film databases, and it flags where sources disagree so you can separate documented facts from internet gossip.
Marita Stavrou at a Glance
Marita Stavrou is an American actress, best known for her screen credits in the early 1990s and for her marriage to Reggie Miller from 1992 to 2001. The table below collects the details that most profiles agree on. Where sources conflict, the table says so.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Marita Stavrou |
| Date of birth | November 2, 1965 (reported by most biography sites) |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Actress, later described as a lifestyle and design entrepreneur |
| Known for | Family Matters (1989), Strictly Business (1991), Dinner Rush (2000) |
| Former spouse | Reggie Miller, NBA Hall of Famer |
| Marriage | August 1992 (sources give August 2 or August 29) |
| Divorce | Filed August 2000, finalized early April 2001 |
| Reported settlement | About $5 million |
| Children | Most profiles report two, a son and a daughter; one source lists one |
| Marital status | Divorced |
| Estimated net worth | Unverified; estimates range from $500,000 to $10 million |
Treat the birth date and net worth with caution. Marita Stavrou keeps a low public profile, and the figures come from entertainment websites rather than official records.
Who Is Marita Stavrou?
Marita Stavrou is a former television and film actress who gained wider recognition through her marriage to a basketball star. Briefly and SportsBrief both describe her as an American actress and media personality, and later profiles add that she works in lifestyle design.
Most people first met her name in connection with Reggie Miller, who spent his entire 18-year NBA career with the Indiana Pacers. As Miller rose to fame, reporters regularly mentioned his wife, and she appeared at Pacers games during the marriage.
Her own career deserves separate attention. She worked as an actress before she met Miller, and she did not rely on his fame to open doors. Her screen credits are few, but they sit in recognizable productions.
She has stayed out of social media and press interviews for years. That choice explains why so few verified details exist about her private life, and it also explains why many websites repeat the same short list of facts.
Early Life and Background
Public records about Marita Stavrou’s early life are thin. No major outlet has published a detailed account of her childhood, her parents or her education, and the biography sites that cover her say the same thing.
Her surname points to Greek heritage, and one profile lists her ethnicity as mixed. Another source names siblings, including two sisters and a brother, but that claim comes from a single website and no news outlet has confirmed it.
Reported details place her birth in the United States on November 2, 1965. Several sites repeat that date, so it appears reliable enough for general use, though none of them cite a birth record.
The lack of early-life detail reflects her preference for privacy. Readers should be wary of any article that describes her childhood in vivid terms, because the documented record does not support that level of detail.
Marita Stavrou’s Acting Career
Marita Stavrou built a modest acting career in the late 1980s and 1990s, with credits that profile sites list as Family Matters, Strictly Business and Dinner Rush. These three titles appear consistently across biography pages.
Family Matters debuted on ABC in 1989 and became one of the best-known sitcoms of its decade. Profiles credit Stavrou with an appearance in the series, which gave her early exposure to a large television audience.
Strictly Business followed in 1991. Kevin Hooks directed the romantic comedy, and Halle Berry, Tommy Davidson and Joseph C. Phillips led the cast. The film opened in the United States on November 8, 1991.
Dinner Rush arrived in 2000. Bob Giraldi directed the crime drama, which is set in a busy New York Italian restaurant and stars Danny Aiello. Biography sites list Stavrou among its performers, although the cast summaries available online are partial.
She never became a leading name, and her filmography stays short. Several online profiles invent extra roles or award histories, so check any claim against a film database such as IMDb before repeating it.
How Marita Stavrou Met Reggie Miller
Marita Stavrou met Reggie Miller through Magic Johnson, the Los Angeles Lakers legend. FanBuzz and EssentiallySports both report that Johnson introduced the pair in the early 1990s.
The relationship moved quickly. EssentiallySports describes a whirlwind romance that led to marriage within months of the introduction, while other profiles say the couple dated for a few years first.
At the time, Miller was building his reputation as one of the league’s best long-range shooters. The Pacers were becoming a playoff team, and Miller was a rising star on the court and in the public eye.
Stavrou, an actress based in a different world of entertainment, brought a social energy that contrasted with Miller’s focus on basketball. That contrast later appeared in accounts of why the marriage struggled.
Marriage to Reggie Miller
Marita Stavrou married Reggie Miller in August 1992, and the marriage lasted about eight years. Sources disagree on the exact day. SportsBrief and several others say August 29, while EssentiallySports says August 2.
The couple lived mostly in Indiana during basketball season. Stavrou attended Pacers games and, according to FanBuzz, became a familiar face in the arena.
Profiles report that the couple had two children together, a son and a daughter. One biography site lists only one child, so the exact number remains a point of disagreement. Neither parent has shared the children’s details publicly, and this article does not name them.
Some reports say a post-nuptial agreement shaped the later financial terms. SportsBrief states that Stavrou signed it after the 1992 wedding and that it set a payment of $5 million.
The Divorce and Settlement
Reggie Miller filed for divorce in August 2000, citing irreconcilable differences. The case became one of the better-known celebrity divorces in the NBA at that time because money became the central dispute.
The timing drew attention. EssentiallySports reports that Miller signed a new three-year, $36 million contract with the Pacers one day after filing. Stavrou’s lawyers argued that the timing aimed to limit her payout.
Miller’s side disagreed. His attorneys pointed to the $5 million already paid and to an agreement that directed part of his income into a trust for her. FanBuzz adds that Stavrou accused Miller of giving large sums to friends to hide his wealth, and that Miller denied it.
The court finalized the divorce in early April 2001. Sources give April 2 or April 3, so the safest description is “early April 2001.”
Reports usually put the settlement at about $5 million. SportsBrief mentions a figure of $6 million in one passage, but the same article and most others use $5 million, so that number carries more weight.
The New York Post covered the dispute in 2001, according to one profile, and the case stayed in the news because both sides fought in public rather than settling quietly.
Rumors and Unproven Claims
Several rumors follow Marita Stavrou online, and none has been proven. The most repeated one involves a fire at the couple’s Indiana home.
FanBuzz reports that the couple’s house burned down in what it calls a bizarre arson incident and notes that rumors linked Stavrou to it. The same article says nobody proved her involvement. Another profile adds that she was never charged.
Because no charge or finding exists, this article does not treat the claim as fact. Readers should read it as gossip that attached itself to a bitter divorce.
Other pages claim she appeared in shows such as Seinfeld or that she married a different basketball player. These claims come from low-quality sites, they contradict better sources, and they should be ignored.
A useful rule applies here. If a page makes a dramatic claim and cites no newspaper, court record or film database, do not repeat it.
Life After the Divorce
After the divorce, Marita Stavrou stepped away from the spotlight. Profiles describe a private life focused on her children and on business work in lifestyle design.
Some sites say she has not been linked publicly with any partner since the split. Others describe her as single. Since she does not give interviews, none of these statements comes from her.
Reggie Miller moved on to a new chapter. EssentiallySports says he remarried in 2003, and his wife is Laura Laskowski. He retired from the NBA in 2005 and became a television analyst, and he now works as a color commentator for NBA broadcasts.
The two former spouses have not made a public show of reconciliation or hostility in recent years. Reports from the early 2000s describe conflict, while later coverage describes two people who built separate lives.
Marita Stavrou’s Net Worth
Marita Stavrou’s net worth is unverified, and published estimates vary widely. Some sites say $500,000, while others say $5 million or $10 million.
The higher figures usually include the roughly $5 million divorce settlement. The lower figures focus on acting income alone. None of the estimates cite financial records.
Her income reportedly comes from acting, a lifestyle design business and the settlement. Business income is hard to confirm because she runs her work privately.
For comparison, Reggie Miller’s own net worth appears in many articles at between $80 million and $90 million. That number belongs to Miller, not Stavrou, and some sites blur the two.
Why People Still Search for Marita Stavrou
People keep searching for Marita Stavrou because Reggie Miller remains a famous figure. His playoff moments against the New York Knicks and his work as a broadcaster keep his name in front of fans, and each new generation looks up his personal history.
The divorce also gives readers a clear story. A contract signed one day after a filing, a payout dispute and a rumor about a house fire make for memorable headlines, even when the facts behind them are thin.
Her silence adds to the curiosity. Without interviews or social media posts, she leaves a gap that other websites fill with guesses. That is why a careful reader should rely on named newspapers, court-linked reports and film databases.
Conclusion
Marita Stavrou built a short but real acting career, married one of the NBA’s best shooters and went through a divorce that sports fans still discuss. The verified facts are simple: she is an American actress, she married Reggie Miller in 1992, and their divorce ended in April 2001 with a settlement of about $5 million. Everything beyond that deserves a careful look at the source.
Frequently Asked Questions About Marita Stavrou
Who is Marita Stavrou?
Marita Stavrou is an American actress and the former wife of NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller. Profile sites list her credits as Family Matters, Strictly Business and Dinner Rush. She has kept a low public profile since her divorce in 2001 and does not use social media.
How old is Marita Stavrou?
Most biography sites say Marita Stavrou was born on November 2, 1965. That makes her 61 years old as of November 2026. No official record confirms the date, so treat it as a widely repeated estimate rather than a verified fact.
When did Marita Stavrou marry Reggie Miller?
Marita Stavrou married Reggie Miller in August 1992. Sources disagree on the day, with some saying August 2 and others August 29. The marriage lasted about eight years, until Miller filed for divorce in August 2000, and a judge finalized the split in early April 2001.
Why did Marita Stavrou and Reggie Miller divorce?
Miller’s divorce filing cited irreconcilable differences. Profiles also describe different lifestyles, as Stavrou wanted a more active social life while Miller stayed focused on basketball. Neither person has given a detailed public explanation, so the exact reasons remain unconfirmed, and readers should avoid any site that claims to know the full story.
How much did Marita Stavrou receive in the divorce?
Reports say Marita Stavrou received about $5 million. Miller’s lawyers said she had already received that amount under an earlier agreement before the dispute reached its peak. One source mentions $6 million, but most sources use the $5 million figure.
How did Marita Stavrou meet Reggie Miller?
Magic Johnson introduced Marita Stavrou to Reggie Miller, according to FanBuzz and EssentiallySports. The introduction took place in the early 1990s, and the couple married in August 1992. Some accounts describe a quick romance, while others suggest a longer courtship.
Does Marita Stavrou have children?
Most profiles say Marita Stavrou and Reggie Miller have two children, a son and a daughter. One biography site lists only one child. The family has not shared details publicly, so this article does not name the children or give their ages.
What movies and shows has Marita Stavrou appeared in?
Biography sites list Family Matters (1989), Strictly Business (1991) and Dinner Rush (2000). Her filmography is short. Claims about other roles, including Seinfeld, appear on low-quality sites and lack support from film databases such as IMDb, so verify them before sharing.
What is Marita Stavrou’s net worth?
No verified figure exists. Online estimates range from $500,000 to $10 million. The higher numbers usually include her divorce settlement of about $5 million, and the lower ones count only acting income. Treat every estimate as approximate, because none of them cites financial records.
What does Marita Stavrou do now?
Recent profiles describe Marita Stavrou as an actress turned lifestyle and design entrepreneur who lives privately. She does not appear on social media or give interviews. Because of that, current details come from secondary websites rather than from her own statements.
