Kay Kinsey, the wife of the former NBA player Karl Malone, known as “The Mailman,” has been married for 34 years!
Karl Malone and Kay Kinsey first crossed paths in 1989 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
At the time, Karl was a star player for the Utah Jazz, and Kay was a former beauty queen who had won the Miss Idaho USA title in 1988.
As dreamy as it sounds, the meeting happened during an autograph signing event where Karl was greeting fans.
Kay’s brother-in-law was in line to get an autograph, and Kay asked him about the famous basketball player. Her sister later shared a photo of Kay with Karl, which ignited their connection.
At first, Kay didn’t even know who Karl was, despite his nickname “The Mailman” for always delivering on the court.
After their initial meeting, Karl and Kay started talking over the phone, as they were not always in the same place.
Their long-distance communication helped them get to know each other better. Kay and Karl exchanged letters and calls, slowly building a bond.
After Retiring, Karl Malone and His Wife, Kay Kinsey, Have Been Running the Family Business!
Their relationship moved forward soundly after dating for about a year. In fact, by 1990, they were ready to take the next step.
On December 24, 1990, Karl Malone and Kay Kinsey walked down the aisle in Salt Lake City, Utah, where their love story began.
So far, Kay and Karl have built a close-knit family of six, including their four daughters, Kadee, Kylee, Karlee, and son Karl Jr (K.J)
All four of their kids have already gotten married. Their youngest, KJ, married in December 2020, thirdborn Karlee in January 2022, and secondborn Kylee in February 2023.
After retiring from the NBA, the family moved back to Louisiana. Kay left her modeling career to focus on family and managing businesses with Karl.

Their ventures span across Louisiana and Utah, with things like car dealerships and a Teriyaki Grill restaurant. One shop, Legends Cigar and Vape, is run by his daughter Kadee Malone.
Kay mainly manages the restaurant side of their group of businesses, which also includes a clothing shop named 5.11 Tactical.
Likewise, they also run an apartment complex for Louisiana Tech University students, which he was once a part of. Locals even call the area packed with their businesses “Malone Town.”
Likewise, Karl and Kay have also been actively involved in charity work, showing their commitment to giving back to society.
Kay Kinsey Went Through a Fatal Health Issue In 2021!
In early 2021, Kay Kinsey went through a battle with kidney issues.
Two kidney stones had apparently become lodged, leading to an infection that entered her bloodstream and triggered septic shock.
However, Kinsey was rushed to the hospital, which saved her life.
Later, her daughter, Kadee Malone, shared a lengthy Instagram post on her behalf to let everyone know that she is doing fine. The post read:
My mom wanted me to let everyone know that she is doing amazing.
Kadee Malone
It was honestly really bad, and we did almost lose her. But God is so good and she is doing so much better and is on her road to recovery.
Kadee gave an update on her improving condition, writing, “She is talking, walking, and making jokes again! She still has a way to go but she’s doing so well! Thank you so much for all the prayers and kind words.“
At the moment, Kay is doing fine and living a healthy life.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Before marrying Kay, Karl had three children from other relationships.
- Karl has two twins, Cheryl and Daryl Ford, born in 1981 when Karl and their mother, Bonita Ford, were both 17.
- Likewise, Karl had a son, Demetress Bell, born in 1984, to Gloria Bell. This relationship was controversial, and Karl did not have contact with Demetress for many years.