Maria Menounos First Husband: What Most People Get Wrong

Maria Menounos First Husband: What Most People Get Wrong

If you’ve ever Googled Maria Menounos first husband, you’re probably looking for a name that doesn't exist. It’s one of those weird internet loops. You see a celebrity who has been in the spotlight for decades, and you assume there’s a "starter marriage" buried somewhere in the late 90s or early 2000s.

Honestly, it makes sense why people think that. Hollywood is basically a revolving door of weddings. But here’s the thing: Maria Menounos has only ever had one husband.

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His name is Keven Undergaro.

The confusion usually stems from how long they were together before they actually walked down the aisle. They didn't just date for a few years; they were a "couple" for literally two decades before making it legal. In a world where some celebrity marriages don't last through a long weekend, their timeline is kind of mind-blowing.

Who Is Keven Undergaro?

Keven isn't just a "plus-one." He’s a massive part of the reason Maria has the career she does today. They met way back in 1998. At the time, Maria was only 19 years old. She was working on an independent film that Keven was producing.

It wasn't exactly a glamorous Hollywood meet-cute.

Keven was actually struggling. The film he was working on ended up leaving him broke and technically homeless. But even in the middle of that mess, he saw something in Maria. He decided to pivot from his own dreams of being a filmmaker to focus entirely on building her career.

He basically became her strategist. He produced her first demo reel. He helped her navigate the shark-infested waters of early 2000s broadcast journalism. While she was becoming the face of Extra and E! News, Keven was the guy behind the curtain, staying out of the paparazzi shots and red carpet photos.

The "Romeo and Juliet" Drama You Didn't Know About

While they seem like a rock-solid unit now, the early days were rough. Maria comes from a very traditional Greek family. When she started dating Keven—who isn't Greek—her parents, Constantinos and Litsa, were not happy.

It actually got pretty intense.

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They reportedly disowned her for a while. They even stopped paying for her education at Emerson College. Maria has talked about this in interviews, describing a time when she was basically homeless, living in a basement apartment in Boston with Keven, just trying to make it.

They lived on next to nothing. They shared a dream and a love for the Howard Stern Show. It’s a bit ironic that the very people who once rejected him eventually became his biggest fans. Before Litsa passed away, Keven was a core part of their caregiving team during her battle with stage 4 brain cancer.

Why Did It Take 20 Years to Get Married?

So, if they met in '98, why is there so much search interest in Maria Menounos first husband? It’s because the wedding didn't happen until December 31, 2017.

Twenty years.

For two decades, people just assumed they were married, or that she’d been married before and moved on. But they were "Kurt and Goldie-ing it," as Keven once put it. They didn't feel the need for a piece of paper to prove they were committed.

Then 2017 happened.

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That was a brutal year for Maria. She was diagnosed with a golf-ball-sized brain tumor while also helping her mother fight brain cancer. Facing your own mortality has a way of changing your perspective on "eventually."

The Times Square Surprise

They got engaged on the Howard Stern Show in 2016 (a full-circle moment for them). But the wedding itself was a total curveball. They were co-hosting the FOX New Year’s Eve special in Times Square.

Right there, in the freezing cold, in front of millions of viewers, they tied the knot. Steve Harvey officiated. It was chaotic, it was snowy, and it was perfectly them.

The Second Wedding in Greece

Because one wedding is never enough for a Greek family, they did it again in 2018. This time, it was a massive, traditional ceremony in Akovos, Greece—her father’s home village.

If the first wedding was for the world, the second was for her heritage.

  • Location: A tiny, beautiful church in the mountains.
  • Theme: Lemons. Everywhere. (Seriously, like 1,500 lemons).
  • Vibe: Pure "Big Fat Greek Wedding" energy.

Life as Parents in 2026

Fast forward to today, and the conversation has shifted from "Who is her husband?" to their life as parents. After a decade-long battle with infertility and health scares, they welcomed their daughter, Athena Alexandra, via surrogate in 2023.

Maria has been incredibly open about the "night nurse" shifts and the reality of being older parents. Keven, now in his late 50s, has even written about the "older dad’s playbook." They’ve traded red carpets for baby bottles, and honestly, they seem more grounded than ever.

Actionable Insights for the Curious

If you’re following Maria’s story or looking into her history, here are a few things to keep in mind about why her relationship with Keven Undergaro is such a rarity in the industry:

  1. Longevity over Legality: Don't let a "marriage date" fool you. In Hollywood, a 25-year partnership is a lifetime, regardless of when the paperwork was signed.
  2. Support Systems Matter: Keven’s choice to step back and manage Maria’s early career is a case study in "partner as a strategist."
  3. Health Advocacy: Both Maria and Keven have become huge advocates for brain health and cancer awareness. If you’re dealing with similar health hurdles, her podcast Heal Squad is a solid resource for expert interviews.

The search for Maria Menounos first husband ends with Keven. He was the first, the only, and—given their track record—likely the last.

To get the full picture of their current life, you should check out Maria’s latest updates on social media, where she frequently shares the realities of motherhood and their ongoing health advocacy work.