Who is Junior Bridgeman's wife, Doris Bridgeman? All about the family as Bucks Legend and entrepreneur dies at 71

Former NBA player and businessman Junior Bridgeman has passed away at the age of 71.

According to the reports, he suffered a medical emergency on March 11, 2025, while attending a fundraising event at the Galt House hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, United States.

A report in the Courier Journal stated that he played for the University of Louisville in the 1970s, then he was drafted to the NBA, where he played for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers. He is among the world’s wealthiest retired athletes, with an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion, as reported by Forbes.

He was married to Doris Griffith Bridgeman, who was his business partner and is the Director of Alumni Relations at Tougaloo College in Mississippi, United States, according to her LinkedIn profile.

The Milwaukee Bucks released a statement at his passing, which read:

“We are heartbroken by Junior’s passing and we send our deepest condolences to his wife, Doris, his children, Eden, Justin, and Ryan, his entire family and all those close to him.” His demise has evoked an interest into his family life. Let’s explore the details.

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Here is everything to know about Junior Bridgeman’s family

Junior Bridgeman is survived by his wife, Doris Griffith Bridgeman, and children Eden, Justin, and Ryan.

According to Tougaloo College’s official website, Doris is an alumna of the college and graduated in 1969. Before being appointed as the Director of Alumni Relations at Tougaloo College, Doris was appointed as the Director of Youth Programs & Volunteer Services at the United Way of the Capital Area, Inc., as per her LinkedIn profile.

Bridgeman’s daughter Eden Bridgeman Sklenar is currently the owner and CEO of Ebony Magazine and Jet Magazine, as reported by USA Today. She is married to Gregory Sklenar, as per her Instagram profile.

Ebony and its sister magazine, Jet, were reportedly bought by her dad, Junior Bridgeman. According to a report in Forbes, the companies were originally founded in 1945 by John H. Johnson of Johnson Publishing Company, but in 2020, the Milwaukee Bucks legend purchased them for $14 million. The publication relaunched in March 2021.

In an interview with the Ebony magazine, she said:

“I think that the freedom my parents allowed myself and my brothers [who also have leadership roles with Manna, Inc.] to have is that you could start anything and it could be part of and supported by the family business—something that obviously we’re doing with Ebony and Jet now.”

As stated in the Forbes magazine, Eden was born in Los Angeles, California but grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. She is the youngest of the three siblings and a mom too. She graduated from the University of Louisville with a bachelor's degree in communications. She earned her MBA in Entrepreneurship at Loyola University's Chicago-Quinlan School of Business.

On June 6, 2024, her mom and dad celebrated their 48th anniversary. Eden took to her Instagram to share the news with her followers.

“48 years and counting…Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad! A testament to true love and devotion by putting Christ first at the center of your marriage!”

A 2024 report by Franchise Times indicated that Ryan Bridgeman took over the family’s restaurant business in 2017, crafting his own franchise legacy. Along with being CEO of Manna Inc., he acts as a managing member and president of RD Services and of Bridgeman Hospitality. He reportedly operates 250+ restaurants throughout the United States. As reported by Franchise Times, Ryan said about his decision to downsize during 2019,

“My sister, Eden, who was the CMO at the time, and I looked at the entire business after we took over and said it makes sense to scale back some. Everything is more manageable now and there’s still plenty of room for us to grow with the brands we’re with.”

The report stated that he is a 42-year-old Louisville native and is the middle child of Bridgeman. He is the father of two children.

There is not much information on Justin Bridgeman except that he is one of the three siblings. It is not clear whether he has contributed to the family business like both of the other two Junior Bridgeman’s kids.