Beth Shuey is an American author and ministry founder best known as the former wife of NFL head coach Sean Payton. The couple spent more than two decades together and raised two children before their marriage ended in divorce in 2014. Since then, Shuey has remarried, published a faith-based book, and developed a ministry dedicated to helping women navigate difficult life transitions.
Today, she is also known as Beth Shuey McGuire. Her work with Beautiful Ashes and Beautiful Ashes Ministries offers a fuller picture of her life beyond her connection to professional football.
Beth Shuey Biography: Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Beth Shuey McGuire |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Author, ministry founder, former wife of Sean Payton |
| Education | Indiana State University |
| Former husband | Sean Payton |
| Husband | Jamie McGuire |
| Children | Meghan Payton and Connor Payton |
| Book | Beautiful Ashes (2022) |
| Organization | Beautiful Ashes Ministries |
| Residence | Raleigh, North Carolina, according to her 2022 author biography |
| Net worth | Not publicly established |
Who Is Beth Shuey?
Beth Shuey first became widely recognized through her marriage to Sean Payton, who built a prominent NFL coaching career with the New Orleans Saints and later the Denver Broncos.
Her connection to Payton began long before his Super Bowl success.
Shuey attended Indiana State University, where Payton worked as a football assistant during the 1990 and 1991 seasons. The two met during that period and eventually married in 1992.
Although her earlier life is less extensively documented than Payton’s professional career, her later work provides a clearer understanding of her personal interests and priorities.
Family, Christian faith, and supporting people through major life changes have become central themes in her writing and community activities.
Beth Shuey and Sean Payton’s Marriage
Beth Shuey and Sean Payton married on July 11, 1992, before Payton became one of the NFL’s most recognizable coaches.
Their marriage unfolded alongside a demanding coaching career that involved different teams, cities, and professional responsibilities.
Payton worked with the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, and Dallas Cowboys before becoming head coach of the New Orleans Saints in 2006.
His appointment brought the family into one of the most important periods in Saints history.
Under Payton’s leadership, New Orleans won Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010, defeating the Indianapolis Colts. The victory was the franchise’s first Super Bowl championship.
Beth was part of the family life surrounding those years, but her involvement extended beyond attending football games and supporting her husband’s career.
Their Charitable Work
In 2008, Beth and Sean Payton founded the Play It Forward Foundation to help families and children in need.
Eastern Illinois University acknowledged their joint role in establishing the foundation in a March 2012 Board of Trustees document discussing Payton’s contributions and achievements.
This is an important part of Shuey’s biography because it documents her involvement in charitable activities well before she established her later ministry.
Why Did Beth Shuey and Sean Payton Divorce?
Beth Shuey and Sean Payton’s separation became public in 2012, when divorce petitions were filed in Tarrant County, Texas.
According to Associated Press reporting published by CBS Texas, Sean Payton filed his petition on June 14, 2012, seeking to end the marriage and arrange joint custody of their two children.
Beth filed a counterpetition on June 26, requesting authority over important decisions involving the children’s primary residence.
The original court filing cited marital discord and conflicting personalities as grounds for divorce.
The marriage was ultimately dissolved in 2014, approximately 22 years after their wedding.
The divorce proceedings coincided with a turbulent period in Payton’s career. The NFL had suspended him for the 2012 season following its investigation into the Saints’ bounty program.
However, the timing of these events does not establish that the NFL investigation caused the couple’s separation.
The detailed personal circumstances behind the breakdown of their marriage should not be replaced with speculation.
Beth Shuey’s Children: Meghan and Connor Payton
Beth Shuey and Sean Payton have two children, Meghan and Connor, both of whom developed connections to the sports industry.
Meghan Payton
Meghan Payton was born in 1997.
She studied sports journalism and media production at Pepperdine University before pursuing opportunities in sports broadcasting.
Her professional experience has included NFL-related reporting and appearances across sports media platforms. She has worked with organizations including NFL Network and FanDuel TV.
Meghan married writer and actor Chris Titone in June 2023. Titone also contributed to the screenplay for Home Team, the Netflix comedy inspired by Sean Payton’s experience coaching youth football.
Connor Payton
Connor Payton was born in 2000.
His relationship with his father became part of the inspiration for Home Team, particularly the period when Sean helped coach Connor’s sixth-grade football team in Texas.
Connor later attended Texas Christian University and gained experience with the Saints’ scouting department while exploring opportunities in professional football operations.
Both children remain an important part of the family history Beth and Sean share.
Who Is Beth Shuey’s Husband Now?
Following her divorce, Beth Shuey married Jamie McGuire, a real estate professional associated with North Carolina.
Their wedding has been reported as taking place in September 2020.
The author biography accompanying Beth’s 2022 book, Beautiful Ashes, identifies Jamie as her husband and describes his career in residential real estate.
At the time of that publication, the couple lived in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The biography also mentions their shared enjoyment of hiking, outdoor activities, and visits to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Beth has continued using the name Beth Shuey McGuire in connection with her writing and ministry.
Although her marriage to Jamie is documented, the couple has generally kept the details of their personal relationship outside regular entertainment coverage.
What Does Beth Shuey Do for a Living?
Beth Shuey’s most clearly documented professional and community activities involve Christian care programs, writing, and ministry leadership.
Before publishing her book, she served as a Divorce Care Leader and one-on-one Care Coach at Cross Timbers Community Church in Argyle, Texas.
These roles involved supporting people navigating divorce, relationship difficulties, and significant personal changes.
Her experience later became the foundation for a larger project centered on recovery, forgiveness, and spiritual growth.
Her Book, Beautiful Ashes
In September 2022, Beth Shuey McGuire published Beautiful Ashes, working with Victor Fadool.
The book explores her experiences following a painful divorce and how Christian faith influenced her approach to rebuilding her life.
Its central themes include accountability, relationships, personal healing, prayer, and finding direction after difficult experiences.
Rather than presenting her story as a celebrity memoir focused on professional football, the book addresses readers facing emotional and spiritual challenges of their own.
The publication also became the starting point for additional faith-based projects.
Beautiful Ashes Ministries
After publishing her book, Shuey established Beautiful Ashes Ministries.
The organization focuses on helping women experiencing difficult circumstances through Christian teaching, community, workshops, and retreats.
Its programs emphasize spiritual reflection, supportive relationships, and opportunities for participants to discuss their experiences.
The ministry continued conducting activities in 2026, including its September 18–20 women’s retreat, The Transformed Life.
Public nonprofit filings provide an additional confirmation of Beth’s leadership role. ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer lists Beth Ann Shuey McGuire as president and chair of Beautiful Ashes Ministries Inc. in the organization’s 2024 financial-year filing.
Her work now represents a substantial independent part of her public biography.
The Beautiful Ashes Podcast
Beth and Victor Fadool also developed the Beautiful Ashes Podcast Series.
The series expands on themes from their book through discussions of healing, family, relationships, faith, and personal direction.
Episodes published in early 2023 explored the book’s spiritual principles in a conversational format.
Together, the book, podcast, and ministry show how Shuey’s work developed from personal testimony into organized community activities.
Beth Shuey in the Netflix Movie Home Team
Beth Shuey appears as a character in the 2022 Netflix movie Home Team, a sports comedy based on Sean Payton’s involvement with his son’s youth football team during his NFL suspension.
Jackie Sandler portrays Beth, while Kevin James plays Sean Payton.
Rob Schneider appears as Jamie, Beth’s husband in the film.
One important distinction is that the movie uses a dramatized family timeline. Its portrayal should not be treated as a precise account of when Beth remarried or how every relationship developed.
The film focuses primarily on Sean Payton’s relationship with Connor and his experience coaching young football players.
For a more complete understanding of Beth’s later life, her published author biography and ministry work provide more direct sources.
What Is Beth Shuey’s Net Worth?
Beth Shuey’s exact net worth has not been reliably established through publicly available financial documentation.
Some celebrity biography websites publish estimated amounts, but these figures generally lack supporting evidence such as personal financial disclosures or documented asset valuations.
It is also important not to confuse the financial records of Beautiful Ashes Ministries with Beth’s personal wealth.
A nonprofit’s revenue, expenses, and assets belong to the organization and cannot be treated as its founder’s net worth.
Similarly, Sean Payton’s NFL coaching earnings do not establish Beth’s personal financial position following their divorce.
Without dependable financial records, assigning a specific dollar amount would be misleading.
Frequently Asked Questions About Beth Shuey
1. How old is Beth Shuey?
Some online biographies identify 1968 as her birth year, but an authoritative public record confirming her exact date of birth has not been established. Therefore, a precise current age should not be presented as certain.
2. Is Beth Shuey still married to Sean Payton?
No. Beth Shuey and Sean Payton divorced in 2014. She later married Jamie McGuire, while Sean married Skylene Montgomery in June 2021.
3. How many children does Beth Shuey have?
Beth Shuey has two children with Sean Payton: daughter Meghan Payton, born in 1997, and son Connor Payton, born in 2000.
4. Where is Beth Shuey now?
Her 2022 author biography identified Raleigh, North Carolina, as her home with Jamie McGuire. Her more recent public activities include writing, ministry leadership, and Christian retreats. Her exact current residence has not been independently established.
5. Is Beth Shuey a real estate agent?
Her published author biography identifies her husband, Jamie McGuire, as an experienced real estate agent. Beth’s own documented work is primarily associated with writing, divorce-care support, and Beautiful Ashes Ministries. The available sources do not establish a comparable real estate career for her.
6. Did Beth Shuey write a book?
Yes. She published Beautiful Ashes in 2022 with Victor Fadool. The book discusses recovery after difficult personal experiences through a Christian perspective. Her ministry also promotes an expanded second edition.
Conclusion
Beth Shuey’s life has taken a different direction since her marriage to Sean Payton ended.
While her former husband’s NFL career remains part of her history, her identity today is also shaped by her family, remarriage, writing, and leadership of Beautiful Ashes Ministries.
Her published work and continuing community activities offer a more meaningful account of her life than speculation about her finances or private relationships.
