Action movie icon Steven Seagal, known for his martial arts skills and tough-guy persona, has been with wife Erdenetuya “Elle” Batsukh for two decades.
While he’s been married multiple times prior, Seagal’s commitment to Batsukh is the most enduring.
The couple met in 2001 when Seagal was on a trip to Mongolia fundraising for a movie. She was, at the time, working as his interpreter before their relationship developed into a personal one.
Seagal and Batsukh married eight years later and welcomed a child together the same year — Seagal’s seventh child.
So who is Steven Seagal’s wife? Here’s everything to know about Erdenetuya “Elle” Batsukh and her relationship with the actor.
She is of Mongolian descent
Steven Seagal with wife Erdenetuya ‘Elle’ Batsukh in 2017.
Getty
Erdenetuya “Elle” Batsukh was born in Mongolia, according to her Facebook.
Her heritage plays a big role in her identity; she is proud of her Mongolian roots and is often captured in traditional attire, posting about her pride in Mongolia.
She is a professional dancer
Before meeting Seagal, Batsukh was a professional dancer in Mongolia.
She began training from a young age at the Children’s Palace in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and eventually became one of Mongolia’s top dancers. She even worked at the prestigious National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Mongolia.
Batsukh occasionally posts videos from dancing events to her social media.
In 2019, she had her first acting role in the film General Commander as Tuya Alexander, alongside her husband.
She met Steven while working as his interpreter
Erdenetuya ‘Elle’ Batsukh and husband Steven Seagal in 2019.
Instagram/ segalofficial
Batsukh met Seagal in 2001 when she was hired to be his interpreter during a visit to Mongolia. She is fluent in several languages, including English, Russian and her native Mongolian.
Seagal, who was in the country to raise funds for a movie, crossed paths with Batsukh while she was working with a different celebrity. The couple developed a strong bond and soon after began dating.
They married in 2009
Seagal and Batsukh married in 2009. The couple’s wedding was a private affair, like much of their personal lives. No wedding photos have been made public.
They share a son
Steven Seagal and Erdenetuya ‘Elle’ Batsukh with their son in 2018.
AP
Seagal and Batsukh share a son named Kunzang. Born in September 2009, Kunzang is the couple’s only child, and they have kept his life mostly private.
According to his mother’s Facebook page, the family enjoys spending time together and have traveled to Mongolia many times in Kunzang’s childhood.
She is Seagal’s fourth wife
Seagal was married three times before he met Batsukh in 2001.
He married his first wife Miyako Fujitani, daughter of an aikido instructor, in 1974. Their marriage lasted a decade, and the couple shared a son and daughter.
He then wed Adrienne Larussa in 1984 — a marriage that was annulled the same year as his divorce with Miyako was unresolved.
In 1987, he tied the knot with Hollywood actress Kelly Lebrock until their divorce seven years later due to “irreconcilable differences.” They shared three children.
He also had one child with ex-girlfriend Arissa Wolf.
They keep their relationship private
Unlike her husband, who has spent years in the public eye, Batsukh prefers to keep a low profile. Despite being married to a Hollywood actor, she rarely appears at public events.
The couple don’t attend many red carpets together, but they have been captured attending cultural and social events together, including some music festivals.
In 2024, Seagal attended the inauguration ceremony of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and was photographed at the event without his wife.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings