Kim Sexton is best known as the first wife of MLB player and manager Don Mattingly. She married Mattingly in 1979, they have three sons, and they divorced in the mid 2000s.
Essential facts at a glance
Kim Sexton was married to Don Mattingly on September 8, 1979.
The couple had three sons: Taylor, Preston, and Jordon (sometimes spelled Jordan) Mattingly.
Their marriage ended after nearly three decades, with public records and reporting placing the separation in the 2007 to 2008 period.
Kim Sexton keeps a low public profile. Available reporting notes limited public activity since the divorce.
Quick facts table
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Kim Sexton (often referenced as Kim Sexton Mattingly) |
| Known for | Former spouse of Don Mattingly |
| Marriage | Married 1979 (divorced mid 2000s). |
| Children | Three sons: Taylor, Preston, Jordon. |
| Public profile | Private; limited public records. |
| Net worth | Not publicly disclosed; tabloids list estimates but no verified figure. |
Early life and background
Public sources give very little verifiable detail about Kim Sexton’s childhood. Most profiles say basic facts only and do not list a birthdate.
She met Don Mattingly before he reached the major leagues. Reporting describes their relationship as starting while both were young.
Because Sexton kept a private life, reliable records about her education and early career are scarce. Journalistic profiles repeat this lack of data.
Researchers and reporters rely mostly on interviews about her family and her marriage to build biographical sketches. Those interviews form the core of public knowledge.
Marriage and public life with Don Mattingly
Kim Sexton and Don Mattingly married on September 8, 1979. That date is recorded in multiple public biographies of Mattingly.
During Mattingly’s playing career with the New York Yankees, Sexton appeared in the public eye mainly as his spouse and as a mother. Media coverage focused on the family.
Long periods on the road and the demands of professional sports shaped the family life. Reporting mentions the pressures that come with being an athlete’s spouse.
After Mattingly’s playing days ended, both parties continued public and private lives that eventually diverged and led to divorce in the mid 2000s.
For another example of a public figure connected to a professional sports background, see the detailed biography of Niki Ikahihifo-Bender.
Children and family roles
Kim Sexton and Don Mattingly have three sons: Taylor, Preston, and Jordon. Each son has been mentioned in public records and interviews.
Taylor Mattingly was briefly a minor league player after being drafted in 2003. His pro career ended early because of injury and other factors.
Preston Mattingly pursued a baseball career as well and later moved into front office work. In late 2024, reporting noted Preston’s promotion within MLB administration.
Family reporting often places Kim Sexton in the central role of raising the children while Don Mattingly pursued his baseball career. That role appears in multiple sources.
Career, professions, and public activity
There is no widely reported public career for Kim Sexton that matches the public prominence of her former husband. Sources describe her primarily in the context of family life.
Some public profiles note that she stayed out of the spotlight by choice. Reporting states she did not pursue a high-profile public career after the divorce.
Different people with the same name appear in university and professional listings. Care is needed to avoid mixing identities when researching Kim Sexton.
Most biographical pieces therefore focus on her role in the Mattingly family rather than a separate professional biography.
Personal challenges reported publicly
Some interviews and profiles have discussed personal challenges Sexton faced while married. Reporting has mentioned a struggle with alcoholism and recovery in later years.
A public interview referenced by multiple outlets featured her son Preston speaking about family healing and his mother’s recovery. That interview brought new detail to public coverage.
Sources emphasize that Sexton and her children worked through difficult years and that the family later described progress and reconciliation. Reporting treats those accounts as part of a private family recovery.
Because this material comes largely from interviews and magazine reporting, readers should treat details as reported recollections rather than formal public records.
Net worth and financial overview
Kim Sexton’s personal net worth is not publicly disclosed in financial filings or mainstream business reporting. Reliable figures are not available.
Some entertainment and gossip outlets publish estimates for the net worth of celebrity spouses. Those estimates vary and are not verified. Use such figures with caution.
For context, Don Mattingly’s own earnings and public net worth are documented in sports and financial summaries. Those sources provide a frame but do not specify Sexton’s personal assets.
No public record confirms a settlement figure or an exact asset split from the divorce; published numbers remain speculative.
Public image, media coverage, and privacy
Across profiles, Kim Sexton is described as preferring privacy. Most mainstream coverage notes that she has largely stayed out of public life.
Major newspapers and sports outlets focus more on Don Mattingly and their sons than on Kim Sexton as a separate public figure. That focus shapes what is publicly known.
When media have covered Sexton, they have relied on interviews with family members and localized reporting rather than a broad journalistic record. That limits the number of authoritative primary sources.
Because of that pattern, information on Sexton in many online biographies is brief and centered on family facts and public interviews. Researchers should expect gaps.
Readers interested in public figures who maintain a private life may also find the profile of Story Asaundra Lumpkin helpful for comparison.
Sources, verification, and what remains unknown
Primary public sources about Kim Sexton are biographies tied to Don Mattingly, magazine interviews, and a few feature stories. Those are the main verifiable references.
Key documented facts include the marriage date, the names of her children, and the public accounts of family life and recovery. These facts appear across multiple reports.
Many personal details remain unverified in public records. Birthdate, formal education, and independent career history are not broadly documented. Readers should treat unsourced claims skeptically.
If you need primary-source verification for any specific claim, the most reliable approach is to consult archived newspaper records, direct interviews, or public records tied to the Mattingly family.
