You might recognize Terrence Howard from films like Hustle & Flow or the hit series Empire, where he’s been a star for years. But there’s a lesser-known figure in his past who sparks quiet curiosity Lori McCommas, his first wife and the woman he vowed to love not once, but twice.
Despite her ties to a Hollywood icon, Lori McCommas opted for a private life, steering clear of media buzz and interviews to focus on her family. Still, questions linger: Who is Lori McCommas? What unfolded in her relationship with Terrence Howard? And, most intriguingly, where is she today in 2025? Curious? Stay with us!
In this article, we’ll uncover Lori McCommas’ full journey—her early years, her romance with Terrence, and her life now. Let’s dive in.
Quick Facts About Lori McCommas
👩🦰 Full Name: Lori McCommas
🎂 Date of Birth: June 22, 1969
📅 Age (2025): 56 years old
🌆 Birthplace: New York City, USA
🏫 Education: Pratt Institute, Brooklyn (arts and liberal studies)
💍 Famous For: First ex-wife of Terrence Howard; devoted parent
💑 Marriages: To Terrence Howard (1993–2001; 2005–2007)
👶 Children: Daughters Aubrey (1993) and Heaven (1997); son Hunter (1995)
👵 Grandchildren: Hazel (2012) and Adrian (2015) via Aubrey
📍 Lives In: Reportedly Pennsylvania area (family-focused privacy)
Who Is Lori McCommas?
Lori McCommas wears her connection to Terrence Howard like a chapter in a larger book—one that’s more about endurance than headlines. She’s the kind of figure who reminds me of those unsung anchors in my own circle: steady, selfless, always opting for depth over display. Born into New York’s vibrant mosaic on June 22, 1969, Lori wove faith into her fabric early on—Jewish roots evolving into Jehovah’s Witness devotion that guided her through tempests.
At 56 in 2025, she’s no stranger to scrutiny, yet she’s mastered evasion. No glossy profiles or social feeds; just echoes in Terrence’s rare reflections, where he credits her as the one who “kept him human.” Her appeal lies in that unyielding poise—navigating a celebrity shadow without letting it eclipse her light. In a landscape of performative pain, Lori’s restraint isn’t retreat; it’s reclamation, a model for anyone piecing together life post-storm.
Her essence? A quiet radical, proving that true influence ripples from the margins, shaping lives without seeking applause.

Lori McCommas’ Early Life
Before Terrence Howard’s silhouette graced billboards, Lori McCommas was carving her own quiet trail through New York’s electric veins. The late 1960s and ’70s hummed with change, and in that backdrop, Lori’s upbringing blended urban edge with familial warmth—a Jewish home stressing education as armor against uncertainty. Those early lessons in perseverance? They became her compass, steering her toward Pratt Institute, where creativity met conviction.
Henderson High School laid the groundwork, but Pratt in Brooklyn unlocked her inquisitive side. Amid lectures on design and discourse, she honed a worldview that prized substance over spectacle. Family lore stays sealed—parents and siblings shielded like treasures—but glimpses suggest a nurturing nest that valued voice over volume. I’ve seen parallels in stories from folks I know: that Big Apple grit, tempered by tradition, breeds souls who bend but rarely break.
This era planted seeds of self-reliance, priming Lori for the relational whirlwinds ahead. It wasn’t glamour-bound; it was grounded, a prelude to prioritizing kin over klieg lights.
How Lori Met Terrence Howard
Some connections feel scripted by the stars, and Lori McCommas’ spark with Terrence Howard reads like one. Late ’80s at Pratt Institute: chalk dust debates, shared sketches, two dreamers colliding in Brooklyn’s creative churn. Terrence, with his magnetic edge, and Lori, her thoughtful gaze—they transitioned from peers to confidants, trading ambitions over cafeteria coffee. It was effortless, that shift from syllabus to soul-searching.
By early twenties, commitment called, sealing a pact born of mutual fire. Fame was a distant hum; theirs was a canvas of shared tomorrows, painted with laughter and late walks. Reflecting on tales like theirs from my chats with long-haul couples, it’s clear: those nascent bonds forge steel, even if time tests the temper.
For Lori and Terrence, it heralded harmony—a prelude to family, fraught with the unforeseen pull of his rising orbit.
Their First Marriage in 1993
Lori McCommas and Terrence Howard exchanged vows in 1993, a union blooming in simplicity as his career flickered to life. No grand sets yet—just a couple nesting in everyday rhythms: shared suppers, weekend escapes, the thrill of firsts. It felt timeless, that chapter, until the world widened.
Their trio arrived like gifts: Aubrey in 1993, a bright-eyed trailblazer; Hunter in 1995, injecting joy’s wild spark; Heaven in 1997, rounding out with serene grace. Lori immersed in the role—crafting routines rooted in faith, championing Terrence’s auditions amid midnight feedings. She was the unseen scaffold, bolstering his breakthroughs in films like Dead Presidents.
Yet, ascent bred fissures. Schedules clashed with school runs; whispers of discord swelled into tempests. By 2000, filings marked fracture, finalized in 2001 amid strains that fame amplified—arguments escalating, trust tested. A 2001 clash turned physical, per reports, leading to charges Howard resolved with a plea. Heart-wrenching pivot, but Lori’s north star stayed with her children, turning pain into purpose.
They Married Again in 2005
Hope has a stubborn streak, pulling threads even from frayed fabric. Post-2001 split, Lori and Terrence circled back in 2005, recommitting in hushed ceremony—a bid to reclaim lost ease. Buzz hummed; could maturity mend what youth marred? Terrence, post-Hustle & Flow acclaim, rooted nearby in Pennsylvania, pitching in on home fronts to rebuild bridges.
Fleeting felicity followed: holidays healed, horizons hinted at harmony. Yet, echoes persisted—clashes reigniting under career’s crush. Filings flew by 2006, divorce sealing in 2007. Sources align on finality; it closed not with clamor, but quiet resolve.
In my years unpacking similar rebounds, I’ve noted the valor in trying—and the wisdom in releasing when roots won’t regrow. For Lori, it honed her horizon: forward, unencumbered.

Lori’s Role as a Mother and Grandmother
Marital chapters close, but motherhood’s prologue endures eternally—and Lori McCommas scripted hers with unwavering ink. Amid headlines’ haze, she wove a web of Jehovah’s Witness wisdom for Aubrey, Hunter, and Heaven: resilience as ritual, kindness as creed. No entitlement in their upbringing; just tools for thriving beyond spotlights.
Aubrey, now 32, mirrors her mettle as a wellness advocate, helming Spirit Medicine with breathwork and holistic havens. A mom herself, her Hazel (2012) and Adrian (2015) gift Lori grandma gleams—story hours, garden giggles that echo her nurturing ethos. Hunter, 30, taps creative currents in music, echoing dad’s album nods. Heaven, 28, channels artistic whispers, perhaps in visuals or verse.
Lori’s imprint? Profound, in the poise her progeny project—independent blooms from a garden she guarded fiercely. It’s the legacy I cherish in such narratives: quiet cultivation yielding lifelong fruit.
Lori McCommas’ Life Post-Divorce
2007’s decree drew Lori’s boundary: spotlight’s siren silenced. As Terrence stormed Empire sets, she curated calm—no exposés, no feeds flaunting fragments. Pennsylvania’s embrace lingered, a buffer for mending amid mature co-parenting. Brief liaisons surfaced—Steven Winter, Joey Anderton circa 2010–2012—but privacy prevailed, no rings exchanged.
Her postlude? Intentional invisibility: faith circles, family forays, perhaps subtle community threads in charity or counsel. I’ve counseled friends through splits; Lori’s model—process privately, parent publicly—spares scars for all. By 2025, she’s a cipher by choice, her narrative hers alone, unmarred by thy media’s maw.
Where Is Lori McCommas in 2025?
In 2025’s glow, Lori McCommas resides in Pennsylvania’s gentle folds, per whispers—Lafayette Hill whispers, a haven of hills and hearths. At 56, her rhythm hums with heritage: scripture mornings, grandkid afternoons, perhaps faith fellowships fostering quiet impact. Terrence’s 2025 reflections nod to amicable ties, but Lori’s lane stays lane-bound—no cameos, no clamor.
She sidesteps digital deluges, savoring analog abundances: Aubrey’s counsel calls, Hunter’s harmonies, Heaven’s hues. It’s a tableau of tranquility, where worth whispers from within. From afar, observing lives like hers, Lori illustrates reinvention’s grace—fame’s fringe yielding fulfillment’s core.
Lori’s Finances and Lifestyle
Away from acclaim’s allure, Lori McCommas sustains serenity on steady shores. 2025 tallies peg her at $2 million, drawn from settlements—$1.3 million slice from Terrence’s 2013 yields, plus homestead holdings. No marquee pursuits documented, though early costume curios hint at hidden hands.
Her tempo? Tastefully tame: Pennsylvania perch over posh pads, funds funneled to family foundations scholarships, sanctuaries, simple sojourns. No splashy spreads think herb-infused eves, faith-fueled forays. Rare among relational remnants, Lori’s eschewal of spotlight sales crafts a creed: capital for calm, not conquest. In excess’s echo chamber, her equilibrium enchants.
Final Thoughts
Lori McCommas’ mosaic defies marquee gloss—it’s etched in endurance, etched deeper by deliberate distance. From Pratt’s promise to Pennsylvania’s peace, she co-authored Terrence Howard’s dawn, cradled their kin through crests and crashes, and amid acknowledged altercations, anchored in absolution. No spectacle in suffering; just a symphony of selecting self over saga.
Her 2025 silhouette? A sanctuary of substance, where queries on her whereabouts wane against wellness woven with kin. Lori whispers wisdom: in yielding yesterday’s yoke, tomorrow’s tapestry thrives. In celebrity’s cacophony, her cadence of composure captivates—a coda of courage, quietly profound.
(FAQs) Terrence Howard’s
Who was Lori McCommas married to?
Lori McCommas was married to actor Terrence Howard twice, from 1993 to 2001 and again from 2005 to 2007.
How old is Lori McCommas today?
Born June 22, 1969, Lori McCommas will be 56 years old in 2025.
Where did Lori McCommas grow up?
Lori McCommas grew up in New York City, attending Henderson High School before Pratt Institute.
How many kids does Lori McCommas have?
Lori has three children: daughters Aubrey and Heaven, and son Hunter, all with Terrence Howard.
What faith does Lori McCommas practice?
Lori follows Jehovah’s Witness beliefs, raising her children in that tradition after a Jewish upbringing.
Why did Lori McCommas divorce Terrence Howard the first time?
Career pressures, arguments, and a 2001 incident involving physical conflict led to their 2001 divorce after filing in 2000.