Jean Christensen is best known for her relationship with wrestling legend André the Giant and as the mother of his only child, Robin Christensen-Roussimoff. However, Jean had her own life and career outside her connection to the famous wrestler. She worked around entertainment and professional wrestling, made wrestling clothing, became a costume designer, and later operated a costume business in Washington. Since different websites report conflicting details about parts of her life, it is important to separate well-supported information from claims that remain uncertain.
Jean Christensen at a Glance
| Detail | What is Known |
|---|---|
| Full name | Jean Christensen |
| Date of birth | August 15, 1949, according to death-index records |
| Date of death | September 2, 2008 |
| Age at death | 59, based on the reported birth and death dates |
| Later residence | Lynnwood, Washington |
| Profession | Stage manager, seamstress, photographer, wrestling-gear maker, and costume designer |
| Known for | Her relationship with André the Giant and being Robin Christensen-Roussimoff’s mother |
| Daughter | Robin Christensen-Roussimoff, born in 1979 |
| Relationship with André | Jean said they married in Canada but did not register the marriage in the United States |
| Later business | Andre’s Bodacious Babe Costumes |
There is some disagreement about Jean Christensen’s age and birth year. Record-based information lists her birth date as August 15, 1949, and her death date as September 2, 2008, which would mean she was 59 when she died. However, a newspaper profile published in 2008 described her as 55 years old, creating a clear difference between the reports. Because the record-based dates are more specific, they are generally treated as the stronger information, although the difference is worth mentioning.
Early Life and Career
Reliable information about Jean Christensen’s childhood and family background is limited. Much more is known about her working life after she finished school. Jean said she had wrestled while she was in high school and later entered the music industry as a stage manager. She also repaired performers’ clothing from time to time, which gave her early experience with the sewing and clothing work that later became an important part of her career.
Jean’s career changed after she was injured in a car accident. She eventually returned to professional wrestling, where she worked as a seamstress and photographer while creating clothing for wrestlers. Her work included robes, tights, trunks, and special break-away clothing designed for performances. People familiar with her work have also said that she helped bring brighter colors and more visual variety to wrestling gear during a period when wrestling outfits were becoming a larger part of a performer’s image.
Some modern biography websites describe Jean mainly as a model or public relations representative, but her documented career appears to have been much broader. She worked in several behind-the-scenes roles and became especially connected with clothing and costume production. Her professional experience eventually helped her move from wrestling gear into general costume design, which became an important part of her later life.
How Jean Christensen Met André the Giant
Jean Christensen met André René Roussimoff, better known as André the Giant, through the professional wrestling business during the early 1970s. Reports differ slightly on the exact year, with most placing their first meeting somewhere between 1972 and 1974. Jean was working around the wrestling industry at the time, while André was becoming one of the most recognizable wrestlers in the world.
Different reports describe Jean’s wrestling work in slightly different ways. Some say she was involved in public relations, while Jean herself spoke more about making wrestling clothing, working as a photographer, and handling other behind-the-scenes duties. These descriptions are not necessarily contradictory because people working in wrestling during that period often handled several responsibilities rather than having only one clearly defined position.
Their professional connection eventually became a personal relationship. André’s wrestling career required him to travel constantly, and he spent much of his time moving between cities and countries for appearances. Jean remained more closely connected with her own work and later became responsible for raising their daughter. Their relationship became one of the most discussed parts of Jean Christensen’s life after André became internationally famous.
Was Jean Christensen Married to André the Giant?
The question of whether Jean Christensen was officially married to André the Giant remains one of the most confusing parts of her biography. Jean said that she and André married in Canada but never registered their marriage license in the United States. She also said that their relationship later ended and that they separated after the birth of their daughter.
Other biographies describe Jean and André as unmarried partners rather than husband and wife. Robin Christensen-Roussimoff has also described her parents’ relationship as a common-law marriage. Because the available public information does not fully agree, it is more accurate to describe Jean as André’s longtime partner while also explaining that Jean personally said a marriage ceremony had taken place in Canada.
The difference may also explain why some articles call Jean André the Giant’s wife while others describe her as his girlfriend or partner. There is no need to treat one label as completely settled when the available accounts are inconsistent. What is certain is that Jean and André had a significant relationship and became parents to a daughter together.
Jean and André’s Daughter, Robin
Jean Christensen and André the Giant had one daughter, Robin Christensen-Roussimoff, who was born in 1979. André initially questioned whether he was Robin’s biological father, but later reports say that a court-ordered blood test confirmed his paternity. André was then required to provide financial support for his daughter.
Robin spent most of her childhood with Jean because André’s wrestling career kept him on the road for long periods. His difficult relationship with Jean also affected how often he saw Robin, and Robin has said that she met her father only a limited number of times while growing up. Although André became an international celebrity, Jean was the parent responsible for most of Robin’s everyday life and upbringing.
Robin has spoken warmly about parts of her childhood with her mother. She remembered Jean making clothing for her, including costumes and even a prom dress, and said her mother was honest with her about André. Robin later became an important public connection to her father’s legacy, appearing in wrestling-related interviews, events, and the 2018 HBO documentary André the Giant.
Through Robin, Jean Christensen remains an important part of the wider André the Giant family story. While André’s fame often attracts most of the attention, Jean played the central role in raising their daughter and helping her understand the unusual family situation she had been born into. That part of Jean’s life is especially important when looking at her story beyond her connection to professional wrestling.
Costume Design and Later Life
Jean continued improving her sewing skills after learning that she was pregnant. She later said that she returned to school and studied manufacturing techniques, fashion design, and marketing. These skills helped her turn clothing and costume production into a more established profession rather than simply occasional work connected to wrestling.
She eventually operated a costume business called Andre’s Bodacious Babe Costumes in Shoreline, Washington, while living in nearby Lynnwood. The shop reportedly contained hundreds of handmade costumes and reflected Jean’s long experience designing clothing for people with different body sizes and shapes. Her background making wrestling gear was especially useful because wrestlers often required unusual sizes, durable materials, and clothing designed specifically for live performance.
Jean’s costume work also extended beyond professional wrestling. She reportedly created clothing for entertainers such as Weird Al Yankovic and guitarist Dick Dale. She also discussed possible work involving organizations and entertainment companies connected with Cirque du Soleil, Fox movie studios, and The Muppets Live. Those opportunities were described as possible work offers rather than fully confirmed completed projects, so they should not be treated as definite professional credits.
Even after wrestling stopped being the center of her daily life, Jean remained connected to it through her memories and family. She reportedly kept personal items connected with André, including a pair of his famously large shoes. Her later life shows that she successfully took skills developed around the wrestling industry and turned them into a longer career in costume design.
Jean Christensen’s Death
Jean Christensen died in 2008. Record-based information lists her death date as September 2, 2008, and places her final residence in the Lynnwood, Washington area. Based on the reported birth date of August 15, 1949, Jean would have been 59 years old when she died.
Her age at death has often been reported incorrectly online. Some websites have used different birth years or claimed that she was 74 when she died, even though that age does not match the record-based dates. Because of these contradictions, the 1949 birth year and age of 59 are the more consistent figures when the dates are calculated together.
There is also uncertainty about the exact cause of Jean Christensen’s death. Some wrestling-related websites have claimed that she died after suffering from colon cancer, while other accounts do not provide a cause. Since there is no widely available strong public record confirming the specific cause, it is safer to say that Jean died in 2008 without treating the cancer claim as completely confirmed.
Jean Christensen’s Legacy
Jean Christensen died many years before some of the more recent celebrations of André the Giant’s wrestling legacy, but her daughter has continued representing the family publicly. In April 2026, Robin Christensen-Roussimoff appeared during a WWE Hall of Fame ceremony connected with the famous WrestleMania III match between André the Giant and Hulk Hogan. Her appearance showed that André’s family remains connected to the history and celebration of his wrestling career.
This event did not reveal new details about Jean herself, but it demonstrates how Jean’s family story remains relevant decades after André’s death. Robin continues to serve as the direct connection between both parents and the modern wrestling world. As a result, interest in Jean Christensen often grows whenever André the Giant’s personal life, daughter, or family legacy returns to public attention.
Jean’s legacy should not be limited only to her relationship with André. She worked in entertainment, made wrestling gear, built a career in costume design, operated her own business, and raised their daughter for most of Robin’s childhood. These parts of her life show that Jean had an independent professional story that deserves to be included whenever her biography is discussed.
How This Was Researched
I researched Jean Christensen’s biography by comparing older interviews, public records, wrestling-history material, biographies, and information connected with André the Giant and Robin Christensen-Roussimoff. Several details are reported differently across available accounts, especially Jean’s birth year, marriage status, profession, and age at death. Instead of choosing uncertain claims without explanation, I have made those differences clear and focused mainly on information that can be supported by multiple accounts or direct statements.
FAQs About Jean Christensen
Who was Jean Christensen?
Jean Christensen worked in entertainment and professional wrestling before becoming a costume designer. Her work included stage management, photography, sewing, wrestling-gear production, and costume design. She is best known publicly for her relationship with André the Giant and as the mother of his only daughter, Robin Christensen-Roussimoff.
Was Jean Christensen André the Giant’s wife?
Jean said that she and André married in Canada but never registered the marriage in the United States. Other biographies describe them as unmarried partners, while their daughter Robin has referred to the relationship as a common-law marriage. Because the reports differ, Jean is often described more generally as André the Giant’s partner.
What did Jean Christensen do for a living?
Jean worked in several areas of entertainment and professional wrestling. She was involved in stage management, photography, sewing, and the production of clothing for wrestlers before moving more deeply into costume design. She later operated Andre’s Bodacious Babe Costumes in Washington.
Did Jean Christensen and André the Giant have children?
Yes, Jean Christensen and André the Giant had one daughter, Robin Christensen-Roussimoff, who was born in 1979. Robin is André the Giant’s only known child. Jean raised Robin for most of her childhood because André spent much of his time traveling for his wrestling career.
When did Jean Christensen die?
Jean Christensen died on September 2, 2008, according to record-based information. Her reported birth date is August 15, 1949, which would mean she was 59 years old when she died. Some websites give different ages, but those figures do not match the commonly reported birth and death dates.
What was Jean Christensen’s relationship with Robin?
Jean was Robin Christensen-Roussimoff’s mother and played the main role in raising her. Robin has said that Jean was honest with her about André the Giant and made many pieces of clothing for her while she was growing up. Their relationship is an important part of Jean’s life story because Robin spent far more time with Jean than with her famous father.
Accuracy Note
This biography is based on publicly available interviews, records, wrestling-history material, and published reporting. Some details about Jean Christensen are reported differently across sources, so uncertain information has been identified clearly rather than presented as confirmed fact.
Written and researched by Hassan, contributor at ntx magazine.
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Written by Hassan, founder and editor of NTX Magazine — an independent news and biography publication. Every article is researched and cross-checked against multiple public sources before publishing; see our Sourcing Standards page for details.
