Stevie Wonder’s Twisted Double Life: As He Turns 75, We Expose 'Superstition' Superstar's Most Sordid Secrets
Stevie Wonder's legal battles exposed as singer turns 75-years-old.
May 14 2025, Published 3:06 p.m. ET
Stevie Wonder has been considered one of the most influential musicians for half a century, but behind the scenes his life has been plagued by scandal.
As the Motown legend celebrated his 75th birthday, RadarOnline.com can reveal the Superstition singer's bitter legal battles, including a multimillion dollar extortion attempt from a family member and allegations he knowingly gave an ex-girlfriend a sexually transmitted disease.
Wonder was sued by ex-girlfriend Angela McAfee for $30million in 2001.
Shortly after Wonder married his second wife, Kai Morris, his ex-girlfriend Angela McAfee hit him with a $30million palimony lawsuit, in which she claimed he gave her herpes.
McAfee alleged in the lawsuit Wonder pursued her for more than a decade and eventually convinced her to quit her job as a wardrobe consultant and move into his home in 1996.
She claimed they had a verbal agreement that she would be a homemaker and Wonder would be their sole provider until the singer breached their agreement.
McAfee alleged Wonder breached their alleged verbal contract and gave her genital herpes.
McAfee further claimed under their agreement Wonder would financially support them and she would help him handle various medical, personal and family problems. She further alleged the musician agreed to support her financially even if they broke up.
She claimed Wonder breached their agreement when he moved out and stopped paying rent – and fraudulently hit a sexually transmitted disease from her, which she contracted.
Wonder's ex-girlfriend said she found out she had genital herpes in October 2000.
The Isn't She Lovely singer hit back at McAfee in a countersuit alleging she stole $160,000 worth of furniture, stereos, exercise equipment and musical instruments after they broke up.
A judge ultimately ruled the former couple settle their lawsuits out of court.
Wonder's cousin Alpha Walker later attempted to extort him for millions of dollars.
His ex-girlfriend's lawsuit wasn't the only legal battle Wonder has fought.
In 2012, his cousin Alpha Walker attempted to extort him for $5million in exchange for not releasing a video which showed the home of Wonder's late mother in despair, as well as his son Walker, who was on probation for grand theft auto.
Walker was said to have initially demanded $10million to keep the video under wraps before reducing the amount to $5million and then $500,000.
He was then arrested in a sting operation and tried to claim he "had a constitutional right to make and market the video," but eventually pleaded no contest.
Wonder's cousin was sentenced to 292 days in jail plus probation and mandatory counseling.
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Wonder settled with the widow of his late lawyer Johanan Vigoda who sued him for $7million in a royalties dispute.
In one of his most bizarre court battles, Wonder was embroiled in a lawsuit over his late attorney, Johanan Vigoda, who represented the singer for over four decades.
Vigoda negotiated a 6 percent fee of Wonder's royalties, which was to continue "forever" and be paid to his heirs after his death.
Years after Vigoda's death in 2011, his widow, Susan Stracke, sued Wonder for $7million in back payments and royalties.
Wonder argued he was "tricked" into signing the contract, which Vigoda read out loud to him because he's blind. Even with a witness present, it was alleged Vigoda could have "skipped" over the line about the "forever" fee.
The case was eventually dismissed with prejudice and the parties settled out of court in 2017.
