Chris Gardner’s wife, Linda, left him during his struggle with homelessness.
Linda Gardner, feeling overwhelmed by the mounting financial pressures and Chris’s focus on a high-risk career in finance, decided to leave him. The couple’s relationship had been strained by Chris’s career ambitions and the instability that came with it. Linda eventually moved to Oakland with their son, Christopher Jr., leaving Chris to pursue his career in San Francisco. However, Chris fought to keep his son with him, which added another layer of challenge to his situation. The portrayal of their relationship and subsequent separation was notably dramatized in the film “The Pursuit of Happyness,” starring Will Smith as Chris Gardner. In real life, the separation added to the difficulties Chris faced as he worked to establish himself in the competitive world of stockbroking while also ensuring his son’s well-being.
