6 things you may not know about The Undertaker's real family
Despite being a wrestling legend, there are several things that the WWE Universe may not know about The Undertaker's real family.
For many years, The Deadman has guarded his personal life. He would rarely appear out of character, maintaining a mystery around who he was as a person behind the cameras. However, this has changed in the past few years.
The Phenom and his wife, former women's champion Michelle McCool, have recently been more open about their lives. They have revealed some lesser-known information about their family in interviews and documentaries over the past few years.
Without further ado, here are six things you may not know about The Undertaker's family.
#6. The Undertaker's father served with the U.S. Navy during World War II
The Undertaker does not talk much about his parents. Hence, not many wrestling fans probably know that his father, Frank, served with the United States Navy in World War II.
Frank's obituary, which the Houston Chronicle published on July 24, 2003, stated that he served in the Pacific Theater. He also worked for 38 years at the Houston Post before retiring in 1991.
The Phenom's father passed away peacefully on July 22, 2003, at 76.
#5. The Undertaker's oldest brother tried his hand at wrestling
The Undertaker is the youngest of five brothers. While The Phenom has become a WWE legend, many wrestling fans may not know that his oldest brother, Timothy, was an in-ring performer before starting his own business.
On March 24, 2020, Timothy died due to a heart attack aged 63. According to his obituary, he was a plumber and enjoyed working in his shop.
In the final episode of the "Undertaker: The Last Ride" documentary, the soon-to-be WWE Hall of Famer disclosed that he received news about his brother's death while preparing to shoot his Boneyard Match against AJ Styles for WrestleMania 36.
"It was in the middle of all this stuff going on, WrestleMania you know, when everything is perfect it's hectic and stressful but now I have to call all my brothers and let them know and then call my mother (...) It's just another indication of how important being present with your family is because you just never know what's gonna happen. It was an extremely rough day," The Undertaker said.
He defeated AJ Styles in the match at WrestleMania 36. Taker soon announced his retirement from in-ring competition.
#4. The Undertaker's son is not interested in becoming a wrestler
In 1993, The Undertaker and his first wife, Jodi Lynn, had their son, Gunner Vincent. The Deadman then had two daughters, Chasey and Gracie, from his second marriage to Sara Frank. He also welcomed a third daughter, Kaia Faith, with his third and current wife, Michelle McCool.
The Undertaker's son was a wrestling fan growing up and even thought about getting into the business as a child. Nevertheless, he later decided not to follow in his father's footsteps.
"I'd say as a kid, definitely. You see it so much and you're just think like, 'Wow, how cool would that be?' In my eyes, it was like being a superhero. As you get older, you get into your teenage years and kind of want to be independent and find your own interests. So, in my young adult life I steered away from wrestling and tuned in when it was necessary," Gunner told The Ring, The Cage, and The Stage in 2018.
Gunner graduated as a video game artist from Full Sail University. He currently describes himself on Instagram as a "Freelance Artist, Illustrator, and Streamer."
#3. The Undertaker fell in love with Michelle McCool after seeing her throw a football
Michelle McCool has been married twice. Her first marriage to her brother's best friend, Jeremy Alexander, lasted for nearly five years before the couple got divorced in 2006. A year later, she started dating The Undertaker as the latter took care of her when she got sick during WWE's Ireland tour in 2007.
Speaking on his "Undertaker: The Last Ride" documentary, The Phenom revealed that he fell in love with the former Divas Champion when he saw her throw a football during a WWE program.
"I was attracted to her desire to be better and her work ethic. It was not the blue eyes, blonde hair, kicking body. I never seen a girl throw a football like that."
After dating for a few years, The Undertaker and McCool tied the knot in 2010. Two years later, they welcomed their daughter, Kaia Faith.
#2. Michelle McCool retired from WWE because of her husband
Michelle McCool joined WWE in 2004 after competing in the Diva Search competition that year. She spent nearly seven years in the company, during which she won the women's championship and the Divas Title. However, she retired from in-ring action in 2011.
In an interview with Lilian Garcia's Chasing Glory podcast in 2019, McCool revealed that her relationship with The Phenom was why she decided to hang up her boots.
"It was tough. Just leaving in itself was tough because it got to a point where I was dealing with so much... mostly being Undertaker's girlfriend and why I was on TV... even having a writer throw the papers up one day and say 'Why don't we just call it the Michelle McCool and Undertaker show?!' It was nonstop and I went to Vince and bless his heart he was wonderful. I just said 'Vince, I don't wanna hate something that I grew up loving so much and the longer I stay the more I'm like getting a sour taste in my mouth.' So making that decision to leave was as hard as it is, but more than wanting to be in WWE or be a champion I've always wanted to be a mom," she said.
Since her retirement, McCool has made several sporadic WWE appearances. She recently participated in the 2022 Women's Royal Rumble match.
#1. The Deadman's youngest daughter is a wrestling fan
The Undertaker's youngest daughter, Kaia Faith, seems to be a big wrestling fan. Her Christmas wish list two years ago included a real WWE ring. She also practices moves with her father at home.
Speaking to People Magazine on whether his youngest daughter would follow in his and his wife's footsteps, The Deadman refused to give a definitive answer:
"Time will tell."
In an interview with The Bump earlier this year, McCool also disclosed that her daughter thought about celebrating with her in the ring if she won the 2022 Women's Royal Rumble match.
"My daughter has a whole storyline planned out, and she wants me to win this Rumble, go after Charlotte [Flair] at WrestleMania. We were watching RAW last night, she said, 'Daddy, you know how when Bianca [Belair] won her match at WrestleMania, and her dad jumped the barricade? Do you think Mr. McMahon would stop me if I did the same for Mommy?' So, not only am I focused, but my baby girl's got my back. So, we're in good shape," she said.
Kaia currently plays different sports, including football and volleyball. Her mother usually posts videos of her playing sports on her Instagram account.