Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre is back in the spotlight following the release of Netflix’s sports documentary Untold: The Fall of Favre. The film largely focuses on the 2008 incident in which he allegedly sexually harassed Jets sideline reporter Jenn Sterger.
The 55-year-old former NFL star is best known for earning three NFL MVP awards and helping the Green Bay Packers appear in two Super Bowls, including winning Super Bowl XXXI in 1997. But lingering beneath the surface of his success, Favre had a pattern of inappropriate behavior off the field, including a high-profile tabloid scandal that erupted in 2010, and most recently, the largest case of public fraud in Mississippi’s history.
As you watch the documentary, keep reading to learn what happened between Favre and Sterger, whether he’s still married, and what he’s doing now – including his alleged involvement in Mississippi’s misappropriated welfare funds.
What Happened Between Brett Favre And Jenn Sterger?
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY—SEPTEMBER 14: On-field host Jenn Sterger attends the New York Jets Vs ... More New England Patriots game at The Meadowlands (aka Giants Stadium) on September 14, 2008 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives)Getty Images
While playing for the New York Jets, Brett Favre was accused of sending explicit text messages and MySpace comments to 25-year-old Jets sideline reporter Jenn Sterger in 2008.
In the documentary, Sterger recalled being at a game when someone approached her and said, “What would you say if I told you Brett Favre wanted your phone number?” Her response? "I think I like my job, and I look a lot like his wife,” she said.
Later that night, she said she logged into her MySpace account and found two messages from someone she didn’t recognize. The user claimed to be new to the team and described their appearance as someone with grey hair. A second message said that since she hadn’t given her number, someone else on the team would ask her for it.
At first, Sterger thought her male co-workers were playing a prank. But then she started receiving text messages from someone trying to arrange a meeting and offering to send a car.
Jenn Sterger today in "Untold: The Fall of Favre."Courtesy of Netflix
“I just was trying to figure out who this was," she recalled, before realizing it was Favre from his voice. "The voicemails are definitely when I was like, ‘Oh I’m in serious trouble here.’”
According to New York Post, one voicemail showed Favre asking Sterger to meet him in his hotel room. “Just got done with practice, got meetings here for a couple more hours, then I’m going back to the hotel to just chill,” he said. “So send me a text. So I’ll be in the building for a couple of hours… Send me a text. I’d love to see you tonight.”
Sterger, who said she never met Favre in person, later received an explicit photo of male genitalia from the email address “bfavre@tmail.com.” At the end of the season, her contract with the Jets was not renewed.
What Did Favre Say After The Scandal Went Public?
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 11: Brett Favre #4 of the Minnesota Vikings walks off the field after ... More the game against the New York Jets on October 11, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.The Jets defeated the Vikings 29 to 20. (Photo by Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images)Getty Images
When the harassment allegations became public two years later in 2010, the married quarterback admitted to leaving voicemails for Sterger but insisted he never texted her explicit photos, Fox Sports reported at the time.
The NFL conducted an investigation and ultimately fined Favre $50,000 in December 2010 for failing to cooperate with the league’s inquiry.
"Every member of every club’s staff should be able to work in an environment free of harassment or hostility, and one in which every employee is valued, respected, and given a full opportunity to contribute to the goals of the club and the NFL," Commissioner Roger Goodell said in the league’s report.
Sterger revealed that just 25 days after the scandal broke, the show she was working on ended. “My life is ruined… and he went to the hall of fame," she said in the documentary.
Is Brett Favre Still Married?
CANTON, OH - AUGUST 06, 2016: Brett Favre (R), former NFL quarterback, and his wife Deanna pose with ... More his bronze bust after his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during the Pro Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on August 06, 2016 in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by: 2016 Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)Diamond Images/Getty Images
Yes, Brett Favre is still married to his wife, Deanna Favre, and they have two daughters together.
Deanna and Brett are high school sweethearts who first met in 1983 when they were both 14 years old. They dated throughout high school. Eventually, Deanna attended community college while Brett enrolled at the University of Southern Mississippi on a football scholarship. Deanna became pregnant at age 19, according to People.
The couple had their first daughter, Brittany, in 1989 – two years before Brett was drafted into the NFL. In 1995, she moved to Wisconsin so they could be together as a family. They tied the knot in 1996 and welcomed their second daughter, Breleigh, in 1999.
In January 1997, Deanna told The Journal Times that their relationship wasn’t always easy. “There were times when we were broken up and we were seeing other people, but we still talked,” she said. “I always knew if the relationship didn’t work out, we could always be friends.”
In 2007, Deanna published a guest post for Guideposts Magazine, where she opened up her younger brother’s unexpected death and her battle with cancer. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 at the age of 35 and needed to get a lumpectomy and chemotherapy.
In the same post, she also reflected on the challenges in her relationship with Brett, including his addiction to painkillers.
“Brett got drafted from the University of Southern Mississippi to Atlanta, then traded to Green Bay. After years of soul-searching I followed him up there, only to find out that the quiet, kind Brett I knew and loved had become a loud, rough party animal,” she wrote at the time.
“For the first time I saw a mean streak in him and I didn’t know where it had come from. He had mood swings that he’d never had before. He disappeared sometimes without even telling me where he was going,” she added, also revealing that he was “horribly addicted to painkillers,” partly due to the injuries he played through.
As for her husband’s alleged infidelity, Deanna briefly addressed it in an interview shown in the documentary. “I’m handling this through faith,” Deanna said.
Where Is Brett Favre Now?
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 24: Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre testifies before the House Ways ... More and Means Committee at the Longworth House Office Building on September 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. Favre testified on reforming Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the misuse of welfare funds. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)Getty Images
Brett Favre lives in Mississippi, although it appears as though he’s looking to move elsewhere. In April 2025, the former quarterback listed his sprawling home and farm for $14 million, The Wall Street Journal reported, making it one of the most expensive properties in the state.
Dubbed Black Creek Farm, the 465-acre property has served as the primary residence for Favre, his wife, Deanna, and their two daughters since the late 1990s.
"Black Creek Farm has been the heart of our family for over 20 years," Favre said in a statement to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “It's where we've raised our family and gathered with friends, spent summer afternoons by the pool and cookouts by the grill and enjoyed quiet walks through the gated 460+ acres.”
What Did Brett Favre Allegedly Do With Mississippi Welfare Funds?
In the last few years, Favre was caught in yet another scandal after he and former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant allegedly conspired to divert $5 million in welfare funds, meant for low-income residents, to build a volleyball stadium at the University of Southern Mississippi, where Favre’s daughter played at the time.
Favre has not been criminally charged in the case. However, an investigation by Mississippi Today revealed text messages indicating that Bryant agreed to help Favre craft a funding proposal that would be approved by the Mississippi Department of Human Services. Despite the alleged misuse of funds, Favre publicly received much of the credit for raising money to establish the facility.
In one text, Favre asked Bryant whether the appointment of a new agency director would impact their plans. Bryant responded, “I will handle that… long story but had to make a change. But I will call Nancy and see what it will take."
The “Nancy” Bryant referred to was Nancy New, a nonprofit leader who later pleaded guilty to four counts of bribing a public official, two counts of fraud against the government, six counts of wire fraud and racketeering, In another text, Favre texted New asking if the media "can find out where it [the money] came from and how much?"
“Brett Favre, with his name, ID, and reputation, could have done a lot of good for a state like Mississippi,” Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson said in Netflix’s Untold. “But he didn’t. He took advantage of the people who were on that path and struggling.”
In February 2024, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White filed a countersuit against Favre, alleging that the former football star owned nearly $729,000 in interest connected to over $1 million in state welfare funds given to Favre for speaking services he never fulfilled. He repaid the $1.1 million in two payments in 2020 and 2021, according to Forbes.
Seven months later, Favre was called to testify in front of the U.S. Congress House Ways and Means Committee in September. During the testimony, he revealed that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a chronic neurologic condition that has no cure.
According to a study published in Family Medicine and Community Health, having even a single concussion increases the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by 57%. Favre previously told ESPN that he believes he has sustained hundreds – possibly thousands – of concussions over his career.
“When you have ringing of the ears, seeing stars, that’s a concussion. And if that is a concussion, I’ve had hundreds, maybe thousands, throughout my career, which is frightening,” he said.
Untold: The Fall of Favre is streaming on Netflix. Watch the official trailer below.