Don’t underestimate Lori Harvey’s celebrity status as mere nepotism. Yes, she is Steve and Marjorie Harvey’s youngest daughter, but there’s more to her than meets the eye — although the general public didn’t get to hear her voice until recent years. She embodies mystique and is more down-to-earth than you might assume.
Prior to her rise as a model, entrepreneur, and socialite, famous for her high-profile romances with Hollywood’s most eligible bachelors, Lori was a dedicated, competitive equestrian with aspirations of becoming an Olympian.
In October 2014, Steve Harvey proudly talked about her achievements on his talk show. “All my kids are talented in different ways,” he shared. At that time, Lori had been an active equestrian competitor for three years. The supportive stepfather bragged about her winning the Illinois Hunter Jumper Association’s Children’s Medal Final.
She was beaming with pride as he reminisced about wearing her prize ribbon around the venue to let other parents know who he was—a proud father, not Steve Harvey, but Lori’s dad. She was among 31 riders who qualified and completed a total of 15 jumping obstacles, earning the top score of 85 out of 100.
Her passion for horses began at the age of 3. Growing up in Memphis, Lori dabbled in other sports such as gymnastics, swimming, and tennis, but horseback riding was her true love, and she began competing at 14.
She shared with Bustle in 2021, “My love for the sport just took over. I’m in love with horses. That literally took up all of my time. I would be there from the time the barn opened until they closed.” Writer Hunter Harris observed that “she discusses horseback riding with both technical expertise and a burning passion, as if she were still in the thick of competitive riding.”
Lori explained, “It’s very freeing […] When I’m on a horse, literally that is all I’m thinking about: me in that moment and me and that horse. You have to be very in tune to the horse and what’s going on, and picking up on them and the environment, and making sure there’s not anything around that could maybe spook them or scare them. I did show jumping, so I’m paying attention to my distance from the jumps and the setup, and is [the horse] positioned right? So many things go into it, but it’s a very freeing experience.”
Lori even briefly attended college at Florida International University on an athletic scholarship. Sadly, a debilitating back injury prematurely ended her equestrian career. Initially, she hoped that her injury would heal and that she could return to the sport, but doctors informed her that continuing might result in paralysis. Although she was willing to take the risk, her parents vetoed the idea. It was then that Lori decided to turn her attention to the world of fashion and beauty professionally.

