Inside incredible bond between Michael Strahan's daughter Isabella and her twin sister Sophia - who has been by her sibling's side throughout brain cancer battle after pair came together to weather parents' bitter divorce and ugly custody spat

Isabella is moving across the country to be with her sister as she starts chemoMichael's 19-year-old twins, who he shares with ex Jean, have endured a lotThey were also the center of a nasty custody battle between their parents

Take a look inside the incredible bond between Michael Strahan’s daughter Isabella and her twin sister Sophia – who has been by her sibling’s side through her devastating brain cancer battle, years after the pair weathered their parents’ messy divorce together.

Isabella, 19, broke down in tears as she candidly revealed on Good Morning America this morning that she’s been battling medulloblastoma – a rare form of brain cancer – and had to undergo emergency surgery after doctors found a tumor bigger than a golf ball growing at the back of her brain.

According to the teenager, the first person she reached out to when her health took a sudden decline was her twin sister, Sophia, and she’s now decided to move across the country so that they could be together as she undergoes her chemotherapy treatments.

The two young women have certainly endured a lot together. On top of Isabella’s shock cancer diagnosis, they were also in the center of a fierce custody battle between Michael and his ex-wife Jean Muggli Strahan just a few years prior – which saw the former football player accuse Jean of ‘physically and emotionally abusing’ Isabella and Sophia.

Take a look inside the incredible bond between Michael Strahan’s twin daughters’ Isabella and Sophia – who has been by her sibling’s side through her devastating brain cancer battle

Isabella, 19, broke down in tears as she candidly revealed on Good Morning America this morning that she’s been battling medulloblastoma – a rare form of brain cancer

According to the teenager, the first person she reached out to when her health took a sudden decline was her twin sister, Sophia

The athlete-turned-TV personality, 52, welcomed the twin girls with Jean, 54, in 2004, but the two went their separate ways a year after they were born.

Amid accusations of infidelity and a domestic violence complaint, Jean was ultimately given full custody of the twins and raised them on a stunning mansion in North Carolina, where they spent their days playing volleyball on their private beach or riding horses on the property’s stable.

The two young women have certainly endured a lot together. As Isabella details her gruesome healthy battle and how she has leaned on her sister Sophia through it all, take a look into everything else the twins have gone through

But in 2020, their lives suddenly became the subject of fierce media coverage after it was revealed that Michael was back in court with Jean in a bid to get full custody of his daughters after he claimed his ex was ‘abusing’ the two girls.

She fired back and alleged that he had stopped giving her child support and that his claims were all a ploy so he could get out of making the payments.

The former couple eventually reached an agreement and have seemed to be amicably sharing the girls since then – but their worlds were rocked once again last fall when Isabella found out that she had a horrific brain tumor.

As Isabella details her gruesome healthy battle and how she has leaned on her sister Sophia through it all, take a look into everything else the twins have gone through together.

The messy divorce: Michael and Jean split when the twins were only one and became embroiled in a nasty custody battle years later, which saw the football star accuse his ex of ‘abusing’ the girls

Michael met Jean in the late ’90s while he was a pro athlete and she was working at a salon in New York City. They tied the knot in 1999, and welcomed their daughters in December 2004

After they split, Jean accused Michael of cheating on him and called their relationship ‘violent and abusive.’ They’re seen in 2003

‘I love my children with all my heart and will continue to be the father figure that I had growing up,’ Michael said in a statement at the time. The twins are seen as babies

Michael met Jean in the late ’90s while he was a pro athlete and she was working at a salon in New York City.

They tied the knot in 1999, and welcomed their twin daughters in December 2004, but they went their separate ways a year later.

Following the divorce, Jean received full custody of the girls and raised them on a farm in Wilmington, North Carolina, near where she herself had grown up

The TV personality was married once before to a woman named Wanda Hutchins, from 1992 until 1996, and they shared a daughter, named Tanita Strahan, 32, and a son, named Michael Strahan Jr., 29.

According to reports, Jean filed a domestic violence complaint against Michael at the time, which she claimed stemmed from an ‘argument over money.’ The case was dismissed after a judge ruled the fight ‘did not involve physical violence.’

Jean also accused Michael of cheating on him and called their relationship ‘violent and abusive,’ per the New York Post.

‘I love my children with all my heart and will continue to be the father figure that I had growing up,’ Michael said in a statement afterwards.

‘I owe it to my daughters to end my marriage respectfully and with dignity. I would never physically or psychologically harm any of my loved ones, especially my wife.

The family lived in a lavish mansion that had its own beach volleyball court, a tennis court, and a horse-riding ring

‘I was trying to create a childhood like I had, outdoors, but with more of the things I would have liked,’ Jean once told Carolinas Equestrian about her daughters’ upbringing

Michael later reflected on putting his career ahead of parenting during those years, admitting, ‘Looking back, and I do wish I did a lot of things better as far as being a parent’

‘That’s simply not the man I am. I will continue to respect Jean’s privacy and not contribute to a public spectacle of an extremely private matter.’

She was awarded $15.3 million in the divorce settlement, and Michael was ordered to pay $18,000 a month in child support. It was reduced to $13,000 a month after he retired from the NFL.

Following the divorce, Jean received full custody of the girls and raised them on a farm in Wilmington, North Carolina, near where she herself had grown up.

‘I was trying to create a childhood like I had, outdoors, but with more of the things I would have liked,’ she once told Carolinas Equestrian about her daughters’ upbringing.

The family lived in a lavish mansion that had its own beach volleyball court, a tennis court, and a horse-riding ring.

Michael later reflected on putting his career ahead of parenting during those years while chatting to Brooke Shields on her podcast.

‘It was tough,’ he admitted. ‘[I was] so young and having kids and having all the responsibilities, I do look back, and I do wish I did a lot of things better as far as being a parent because I felt like there was so many times I should’ve probably sacrificed certain things in order to be a little bit more present.’

While Michael (seen with the twins in 2019) and Jean’s breakup seemed amicable after the settlement, in 2020, the former couple became embroiled in an explosive custody war

Michael alleged that Jean had been engaging in a ‘pattern of abusive conduct towards the children for years’ and requested primary custody. They’re seen in 2017

The couple privately reached a ‘shared custody agreement’ months later, and Michael dropped his court case. Jean moved to New York City with the girls after that, where they both enrolled in two different elite private schools in Manhattan

While Michael and Jean’s breakup seemed amicable after the settlement, in 2020, the former couple became embroiled in an explosive custody war over the two girls.

In court documents, the former Good Morning America host said he was requesting primary custody and wanted the girls to move in with him in New York City.

He alleged that Jean had been engaging in a ‘pattern of abusive conduct towards the children for years’ and claimed she had failed to take the then-16-year-olds to ‘court-ordered therapy sessions.’

In response, her lawyers claimed that it was all a ploy for him to avoid ‘paying child support.’

They also alleged in court documents that Michael had ‘failed’ to pay the ‘agreed upon child support’ and that he ‘spent more money on his dog than his daughters,’ which Jean said left her ‘with a significant financial burden.’

The couple privately reached a ‘shared custody agreement’ months later, and Michael dropped his court case.

According to Page Six, Jean moved to New York City with the girls after that, where they both enrolled in two different elite private schools in Manhattan.

Supporting each other’s endeavors: When Isabella started modeling in high school, her sister Sophia was her number one fan, and despite attending different schools, they remained immensely close

While the sisters attended different high schools, the remained immensely close and often shared snaps with one another on Instagram

They have embarked on numerous vacations together, and both have flaunted some of the lavish perks that come with having a famous father online

Both girls have similar passions – they both love horseback riding and play volleyball – and when they differed, they made sure to support each other’s endeavors

It seemed like the family had made peace after that, and when the twins graduated from high school in June 2023, Michael and Jean peacefully reunited to support the girls at each of their graduations.

While the sisters attended different high schools, the remained immensely close and often shared snaps with one another on Instagram.

While in high school, Isabella launched a career as a model, making her runway debut at the Sherri Hill fashion show in April 2022, and signing with the agency Women 360

They have embarked on numerous vacations together, and both have flaunted some of the lavish perks that come with having a famous father online.

Both girls have similar passions – they both love horseback riding and play volleyball – and when they differed, they made sure to support each other’s endeavors.

While in high school, Isabella launched a career as a model, making her runway debut at the Sherri Hill fashion show in April 2022, and signing with the agency Women 360.

And her sister couldn’t be prouder of her. Sophia was quick to show her support for Isabella after her first runway moment, gushing on Instagram, ‘That’s my sister.’

They moved away from one another for the first time last fall, when Isabella headed to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and Sophia started at Duke in North Carolina.

At the time, Michael explained that he was worried about them separating, but added that he was extremely ‘proud’ of both of them.

‘They are great friends with each other,’ he shared during an appearance on The View at the time.

And her sister couldn’t be prouder of her. Sophia was quick to show her support for Isabella after her first runway, gushing on Instagram, ‘That’s my sister.’ They’re seen with their dad

The twins (seen with a friend) moved away from one another last fall, when Isabella headed to the University of Southern California in LA and Sophia started at Duke in North Carolina

The father-of-four has spoken out about parenting the twins on numerous occasions.

Back in 2022, he discussed what it’s like to see his teen girls start dating on Good Morning America, and he insisted that he was ‘cool’ with it.

‘I will be honest and say, “I don’t like him. Get him out of here. He’s wasting your time,”‘ he explained.

‘But [I also tell them], “It’s your life. You make your mistakes and you figure it out from there. And if you need me, I’m here.”

‘I always tell my kids that your heart lives outside of your body when you have kids. And everywhere they are is where I am, because they are my heart.

‘It’s a worthwhile transition, but it can be a little tough to let go of your kids, especially when you love them much as I love mine.’

He also reflected on them getting older to Hollywood Life in 2022, admitting, ‘It’s an adjustment.

‘Obviously, they’re not babies anymore, they’re going to prom and you just don’t want to let them out of your sight,

‘I’m like, “I will gladly drive you and chaperone prom. I have no problem. I’ll clear the schedule for that.” But neither one of them wants that,’ he joked.

‘But it’s definitely an adjustment to see these babies be women, but I’m also happy for it because they are beautiful, smart, responsible.

‘Sometimes they can be a little pain in the behind, but that’s natural because I was to my parents too.’

Isabella’s shock brain cancer diagnosis: The teen said she called her twin first after she started ‘throwing up blood’ – and is now moving across the country so they can be together when she starts chemo

Isabella said on GMA that she has decided to move across the country to North Carolina so that she could be with her sister as she undergoes her chemotherapy treatments

Isabella is due to start chemotherapy in February, and she will undergo this step of her treatment at Duke University – where her Sophia is studying

Isabella explained on GMA this week that she started suffering from ‘excruciating headaches’ during her freshman year in college.

‘I noticed something was off since probably September,’ she shared. ‘Like October 1, that’s when I definitely noticed headaches, nausea, [I] couldn’t walk straight.’

Initially, Isabella said she mistook her symptoms for vertigo. Michael confessed that when his daughter shared her symptoms with him, he never considered that they might be indications that she was battling cancer, particularly because she was just 18 and was so ‘young, strong and healthy.’

However, on October 25, Isabella said her condition took a severe decline, with the teenager revealing that she began throwing up blood soon after waking up.

Joking that she thought, ‘This probably isn’t good,’ Isabella revealed that she texted her sister to tell her what was going on – and she then ‘notified the whole family.’

It was at that point that Michael said the family decided Isabella ‘really needed to go get a thorough check-up’ with a doctor, adding: ‘Thank goodness for the doctor… I feel like the doctor saved her life.’

Isabella said the doctor ‘did an EKG and other stuff,’ before sending her to another facility in order to get an MRI.

‘So I went to take [the MRI] somewhere else and then she called me and she said, “You need to head to Cedars-Sinai right now, I’m going to meet you there,”‘ recalled the teen, adding that the doctor gave her no other information about her diagnosis at the time.

Once at the hospital, Isabella was told that she had developed a ‘fast-growing four centimeter tumor in the back of her brain’ that required emergency surgery.

According to Michael, he was told about his daughter’s brain tumor before she was, explaining that he ‘doesn’t remember much’ about the moment he learned of her diagnosis, but that he just ‘remembers trying to figure out how to get to Los Angeles ASAP.’

Voicing his ‘pride’ over his daughter’s bravery, Michael praised Isabella for ‘going into every day with the best attitude’ during the interview, even in the face of such a scary diagnosis

‘I know this is tough but you keep on living, Isabella,’ the athlete (seen with the twins and his other kids) told her. ‘You inspire all of us every single day we are around you’

Isabella was ultimately diagnosed with medulloblastoma, which – according to GMA – accounts for 20 per cent of all childhood brain tumors and is typically found in around 500 children each year, most commonly those between the ages of five and nine.

On October 27, one day before her 19th birthday, Isabella underwent emergency surgery to remove the tumor, with Michael stating that doctors wanted to ‘get it out as soon as possible.’

‘It sent a signal of how serious it was when they said, “Hey, you shouldn’t risk trying to put her on a plane to get her to the East Coast or another doctor. We know what it is and we should get it out as soon as possible,”‘ he recalled of his conversation with doctors.

Thankfully, doctors told the family that, although serious, they are ‘confident’ that they can treat Isabella’s cancer.

The teenager faced an uphill battle in the wake of the surgery, during which she underwent a ‘grueling month of rehab,’ which included re-learning how to walk.

Following the surgery, Isabella underwent several rounds of proton radiation therapy, which she completed just one day before she revealed her diagnosis to the world.

Isabella (seen with her dad and win) had to undergo emergency surgery after doctors found a tumor bigger than a golf ball growing at the back of her brain

Following the surgery, Isabella underwent several rounds of proton radiation therapy, which she completed just one day before she revealed her diagnosis to the world

‘I got to ring the bell [signifying the end of treatment] yesterday,’ she shared with a smile.

‘It was great, it was very exciting because it’s been a long 30 sessions [over] six weeks.

‘I’m feeling good, not too bad. I’m very excited for this whole process to wrap but you just have to keep living every day through the whole thing.’

Isabella is due to start chemotherapy in February, revealing that she will undergo this step of her treatment at Duke University – where her twin sister Sophia is studying.

‘It’s been two months of keeping it quiet, which is definitely difficult. I don’t want to hide it anymore because it’s hard to always keep it hidden,’ Isabella said.

‘I hope to be a voice and be a person people who are maybe going through chemotherapy or radiation can look at and find something interesting in their day.

‘Perspective is a big thing. I’m grateful just to walk or see friends or do something, because when you can’t do something, it really impacts you.’

Voicing his ‘pride’ over his daughter’s bravery, Michael praised Isabella for ‘going into every day with the best attitude,’ even in the face of such a scary diagnosis.

‘I know this is tough but you keep on living, Isabella,’ he told her. ‘You inspire all of us every single day we are around you. And we love you. We are here for you and you got this.

‘[In] 60, 70 years, you’ll be bugging somebody. I don’t know if that will be me, I hope it is but… you’ll be here baby.’