Who is Terry Mandel? 'AGT' judge Howie Mandel's wife once issued him ultimatum over his OCD battle
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Howie Mandel is gearing up for the debut of 'America's Got Talent: Fantasy League' on January 1, Monday, at 8 pm ET on NBC. Meanwhile, in his personal life, the 'AGT' judge is happily married to his wife Terry Mandel, who is a talent agent and television producer.
At a certain point in their marriage, Terry, Howie Mandel's wife, grew weary of managing her husband's Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which had brought distress to their family.
According to Fox News, in an October 2023 interview with Today, the comedian revealed that in the early stages of their union, Terry issued an ultimatum—either Howie sought treatment for his OCD, or their relationship would end.
Howie recounted, "I’d have my children and my wife spray everything down and not touch things. I wouldn’t take things that they were handed. I would remove some of their toys that I saw touching the ground. I was making their life miserable."
Recalling the turning point, Mandel shared, "My wife just gave me an ultimatum. She goes, ‘I can’t do this anymore and I can’t have the children do it anymore. And if you don’t get help, that’s it.’"
He added, "So it was an ultimatum that made me ultimately go to therapy, and I got diagnosed (with OCD)."
For those unfamiliar, Howie received his OCD diagnosis in his late 40s and initially grappled with embarrassment due to the existing stigma surrounding mental health issues.
Mandel continued, "I can’t tell you how many people come up to me and go, ‘Oh, yeah, I’m a little OCD, too. I like everything in order. If my room is not clean, I’m just not happy. I've got a little OCD.' You can’t have a little OCD."
How did 'AGT' judge Howie Mandel meet his wife Terry Mandel?
Howie and Terry are childhood sweethearts. They met each other for the first them when they were children.
The two of them began dating in high school. At that point, both of them were in their teen years.
The pair's first date took place at a movie theatre and it went awry due to bad weather.
While having a chat with The Wall Street Journal in 2018, Mandel said, "We drove to the movies in my mother's Cutlass Supreme. The car hit an ice patch and wound up teetering on its side before coming down on four wheels."
When did Howie Mandel and Terry Mandel get married?
Howie and Terry walked down the aisle in the year 1980.
The couple said 'I Do' on March 16, 1980, and they have been married for over 4 decades now.
How many children do Howie Mandel and Terry Mandel have?
Howie and Terry are proud parents of their three children. The pair welcomed their first child together, son Alex, in 1980. Their second child, daughter Jackie, joined them in 1984.
Terry gave birth to the pair's third child, daughter Riley in 1992.
'AGT: Fantasy League' airs on January 1, 2024, at 8 pm ET on NBC.