Real-Life Love
Where Is Dale Earnhardt’s Wife Teresa Now? All About Her Life, Family Feud & More
The life of the late NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Sr. is at the center of the Prime Video documentary series, Earnhardt. Close friends of the racing icon and members of Dale Sr.’s family, including son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and daughter Kelley Earnhardt, open up about The Intimidator’s unbelievable racing career and life off the track until his untimely death at the Daytona 500 in 2001.
Noticeably absent from the Earnhardt documentary is Dale Sr.’s widow, Teresa Earnhardt. Teresa has mostly retreated from the public eye since her husband’s tragic death, but there have been ongoing family tensions since 2001. From her life today to the daughter they share to where Dale Jr. stands with her, here’s the latest on Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s wife.
What does Teresa Earnhardt do today?
As of 2025, Teresa remains the owner of Dale Earnhardt, Inc., which she cofounded with Dale Sr. in 1980. The company’s headquarters are located in Mooresville, North Carolina. “We are continuing the legacy of Dale Earnhardt in everything we do, every decision we make, and every person we help. Our mission consists of two major headings: The Legend and Philanthropy,” the company’s website reads.
Has Teresa Earnhardt remarried?
Teresa and Dale Sr. were married on November 14, 1982, after meeting at a race. They lived on a huge estate in Mooresville, North Carolina. In the 24 years since Dale Sr.’s death at 49 on February 18, 2001, Teresa has never remarried.
Do Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Teresa Earnhardt have kids?
Yes, Dale Sr. and Teresa had one child together, daughter Taylor, in 1988. Dale Sr. had three children from his previous marriages. He welcomed his son, Kerry Earnhardt, with his first wife, Latane Brown, in 1969. He had two kids with his second wife, Brenda Gee. Daughter Kelley Earnhardt was born in 1972, followed by son Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 1974. Dale Jr. is now married to Amy Riemann.
Chris Keane / Getty Images for NASCAR
Today, Taylor is a spokesperson for The Dale Earnhardt Foundation and works as a cattle rancher for her family-run company Due East Cattle Co. She’s also a rodeo competitor. She’s married to Brandon Putnam, and they have a daughter named Sage.
In the second episode of the Earnhardt documentary, Dale Jr. spoke about his father’s relationship with his little sister. “I thought he was a really, really great dad for Taylor. I was certainly envious of that a little bit,” Dale Jr. said.
What happened between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Teresa Earnhardt?
Dale Jr. hasn’t had the strongest relationship with his stepmother over the years, especially in the wake of Dale Sr.’s death. His sister, Kelley, revealed to The Washington Post that she and Dale Jr. were never asked to look through their father’s belongings after he died. According to Kelley, Teresa “rejected” input when planning Dale Sr.’s funeral and final resting place.
Teresa did invite Kelley and Dale Jr. to their father’s mausoleum, but Kelley feels unwelcome. “She’s so extreme that we might get arrested,” Kelley said about Teresa.
In 2007, Dale Jr. left Dale Earnhardt, Inc. after being unable to reach a new deal with his father’s racing company, which Teresa became the head off after Dale Sr. died.
Prior to Dale Jr.’s decision to leave DEI and drive for another company, his stepmother publicly questioned his commitment to his father’s company. “Right now the ball’s in his court to decide on whether he wants to be a NASCAR driver or whether he wants to be a public personality,” she told The Wall Street Journal, according to ESPN.
Dale Jr. and his sister, Kelley, who also served as his manager, eventually signed a lucrative deal with Hendrick Motorsports.
Despite their fraught relationship, Dale Jr. did defend Teresa when she was called a “deadbeat” owner in 2007 by driver Kevin Harvick. “Like I said in the past, with everything that’s happened, not just to the company but to the family over the past five years, she’s had a full plate,” he said. “The things that she’s responsible for, willingly and unwillingly, are very important. For a long time, the battle with [Earnhardt’s] autopsy photos, all those things, that’s just the tip of the iceberg of things that she’s been responsible for.”
Why wasn’t Teresa Earnhardt in the Earnhardt documentary?
Teresa and Taylor are the two most notable members of the Earnhardt family who did not participate in the Prime Video documentary. Before the documentary started filming, Dale Jr. and Kelley gave producers a list of people to reach out to, which included Teresa and Taylor.
“I thought maybe it might give us an opportunity to communicate,” Dale Jr. told The New York Times. In the same interview, Dale Jr. noted that he doesn’t visit his father’s grave, which is on his stepmother’s property. The mausoleum has room for six, but he isn’t sure he will be buried there given the family situation.
Earnhardt, Streaming Now, Prime Video
