Melissa McKnight Biography

Melissa McKnight was born on 10 March 1965, in England. She moved to America as a little girl and acquired dual citizenship. She is a very private person and has not disclosed any details about her parents or early life to the media.

Melissa McKnight started her career as a model. She was featured in many top brands’ beauty campaigns and also appeared as a cover girl for various magazines, such as Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Vogue. She became a popular model, following which she tried her luck in the film industry. In 2001, she finally made her debut with a role in the movie Triangles and Tribulations. She also gained much appreciation from the audience and critics for her incredible performance in the TV show VH1: All Access (2001). In 2005, she made an appearance in ‘The 31st Annual People Choice Awards’.

Melissa McKnight became very popular following her marriage to well-known Friends actor, Matt LeBlanc. Before LeBlanc, she was married to filmmaker Anthony Esposito. They had married in 1990 in a private wedding ceremony. The couple had two children, a son named Tyler Esposito, born in 1991, and a daughter named Jacqueline Esposito, born in 1995. However, due to irreconcilable differences, their marriage ended in 1996.

Melissa McKnight met Matt LeBlanc in 1997 through a mutual friend named Kelly Phillips and her husband Lou Diamond Phillips. Melissa and LeBlanc took an instant liking to each other and started dating. After dating for just one year, the couple got engaged in 1998. On May 3, 2003, they finally tied the knot in Hawaii by hosting one of the biggest celebrity weddings till then.

Initially, Matt LeBlanc was head over heels in love with her and claimed that McKnight gave him some much-needed stability in life. On February 8, 2004, they welcomed their daughter, Marina Pearl LeBlanc, who was diagnosed with a rare brain disorder called “cortical dysplasia” when she was just eight months old. She suffered from terrible seizures due to the condition. After a year-long treatment regime, Marina made a recovery. Meanwhile, her parents’ marriage deteriorated and they finalized their divorce on 6 October 2006. The reason for their divorce was reportedly LeBlanc’s continuous infidelity and womanizing habits; LeBlanc was dating Andrea Anders at the time.

Melissa McKinight shares joint custody of their daughter with LeBlanc. As of now, McKnight is believed to be single.