You walk into a Barnes & Noble, and two of Glennon Doyle’s most famous books are sitting on the shelves. One is Love Warrior, a raw memoir detailing how she fought tooth and nail to save her marriage to Craig Melton after his infidelity. The other is Untamed, a blockbuster hit endorsed by Reese Witherspoon and Adele, chronicling how she blew up that exact same marriage to marry retired US Women’s National Team soccer star Abby Wambach.
For many readers, the whiplash is real. How do you go from Oprah's couch promoting a book about a redeemed heterosexual marriage to becoming a prominent LGBTQ+ icon in what felt like a matter of months?
The gap between these two eras can feel confusing. People constantly search for the real Glennon Doyle Abby Wambach story to understand how the pieces fit together. Was there overlap? Was the first book a lie? Here is the exact breakdown of how a chance encounter changed three families and resulted in one of the decade's biggest memoirs.
Love Warrior vs Untamed: The Collision of Two Memoirs
To understand the relationship, you first have to understand the business crisis going on behind the scenes.
In early 2016, Glennon Doyle was a massive voice in the "mommy blogger" space. Her website, Momastery, commanded a deeply loyal, heavily Christian audience. She had just finished writing Love Warrior. The book was an agonizing, vulnerable look at discovering her husband's infidelity, enduring intense couples therapy, and ultimately choosing to stay and rebuild their family. The publishing machine was already moving. Advance copies were printed. Oprah Winfrey had selected it for her highly coveted Book Club.
But right before the book hit the shelves, Doyle’s real life completely fractured the book's narrative.
The core of the Love Warrior vs Untamed debate stems from this exact moment. Doyle was contractually obligated to tour the country and promote a story of marital survival, while secretly knowing her marriage was already over. She had met Abby Wambach. The cheetah, as she famously wrote in Untamed, had realized she was in a cage.
Doyle had to make a choice: protect the sales of her upcoming book by keeping her new reality a secret, or blow up her entire brand by telling the truth. She chose the latter, completely changing the trajectory of her career.
For a complete breakdown of the key ideas, quotes, and famous stories from the book that changed everything, our summary is the perfect place to start.
If you are fascinated by the emotional turning point where a woman decides to stop living for others and starts living for herself, you have to read the memoir that came out of this exact crisis. Glennon Doyle’s blockbuster hit is a raw, empowering anthem about breaking out of the metaphorical cages we build for ourselves. It is the perfect follow-up to understand exactly what was going through her mind when she decided to risk everything for her own authenticity.
Untamed
Glennon Doyle
40 Min
8 Key Points
4.2 RateThe Meeting: "There She Is"
The real-life origin of the Glennon Doyle Abby Wambach story sounds like a scene pulled directly from a Hollywood script.
In August 2016, Doyle traveled to Chicago for the American Library Association conference. She was there to promote the upcoming release of Love Warrior. Abby Wambach, fresh off a World Cup victory and recent retirement from professional soccer, was at the same conference promoting her own memoir, Forward.
Doyle’s publicist told her that Wambach was waiting in the green room and suggested they say hello. When Doyle walked through the doors and laid eyes on Wambach, she famously claimed to have heard a voice inside her head say three words: "There she is."
Doyle, who had never dated a woman and identified as straight for 40 years, experienced an instant, overwhelming physical and emotional reaction. Wambach felt the exact same pull. However, the timing could not have been worse. Doyle was married to Melton. Wambach was navigating her own divorce from her then-wife, Sarah Huffman, and struggling with prescription drug and alcohol addiction.
They did not start a physical affair. Instead, they communicated via emails, forming a rapid, intense emotional bond that forced Doyle to look at the reality of her marriage back home in Florida.
It is easy to see why Glennon was so instantly captivated by Abby Wambach. Beyond her legendary status as an Olympic gold medalist and World Cup champion, Abby is a fierce advocate for women leading with unapologetic strength. If you want to dive deeper into the mindset of the woman who swept Glennon off her feet, her powerful manifesto on leadership, team building, and owning your power is an absolute must-read. It will completely change the way you view failure and success.
WOLFPACK
Abby Wambach
23 Min7 Key Points4.5 RateThe Glennon Doyle Divorce Timeline
Readers often look for a clear Glennon Doyle divorce timeline to see if the end of her marriage and the beginning of her new relationship overlapped in a scandalous way. According to both Doyle and Melton, there was no physical infidelity on Doyle's part. She realized the marriage was over emotionally the moment she met Wambach.
Here is exactly how the timeline played out in 2016:
- August 2016: Doyle and Wambach meet at the American Library Association conference in Chicago.
- Late August 2016: Doyle returns home to Florida and tells her husband, Craig Melton, that she wants a separation. She informs her publisher about the impending divorce right as Love Warrior is going to print.
- September 6, 2016: Love Warrior is officially published.
- August - November 2016: Doyle and Wambach begin dating long-distance. Wambach gets sober during this period, citing her desire to be a healthy partner for Doyle and her three children.
- November 2016: The public revelation.
Doyle refused to hide her new reality. Despite fears that her Christian audience would turn on her and her book sales would plummet, she decided to rip the band-aid off.
The Backlash and Glennon Doyle Coming Out
The Glennon Doyle coming out moment happened where she built her entire community: on Facebook.
In November 2016, Doyle posted a picture of Wambach with a lengthy caption. She introduced Wambach to her millions of followers, openly stating that she was in love with a woman.
The reaction was a massive mixture of shock, betrayal, and intense support. Conservative readers abandoned her platform, angry that the Christian marriage redemption story they bought Love Warrior for was now dead. Others praised her immense courage. Coming out as a 40-year-old mother of three in the public eye—while actively promoting a book about her ex-husband—required an intense level of vulnerability.
Wambach, who had been out as a lesbian for years, helped Doyle navigate the public scrutiny. The media quickly latched onto the story. It wasn't just a coming-out story; it was a pop culture event. The former captain of the US soccer team and the queen of the mommy bloggers had become the internet's favorite power couple.
This journey from public pleaser to an authentic self is one of the core lessons of Untamed. The book offers a powerful framework for anyone looking to stop abandoning their own needs for the sake of others.
Coming out and changing your life’s trajectory in the public eye—or even just within your own family—requires an immense amount of courage and the ability to draw firm lines in the sand. Glennon’s story is a beautiful reminder that you do not owe anyone a version of yourself that makes them comfortable. If you are feeling inspired to take back control of your own narrative, learning how to establish healthy limits is the best first step you can take.
Set Boundaries, Find Peace
Nedra Glover Tawwab
29 Min10 Key Points4.5 RateThe Untamed True Story: Building a Blended Family
By February 2017, just six months after meeting, the couple was engaged. On May 14, 2017, Doyle and Wambach got married in an intimate ceremony. Wambach wore a custom red velvet suit, and Doyle wore a silver dress.
But the Untamed true story isn't just about two women falling in love. A massive portion of the narrative focuses on the fallout and the rebuilding of the family unit. Doyle had three children with Craig Melton: Chase, Tish, and Amma.
Instead of a bitter custody battle, the trio built an unconventional, highly functional co-parenting dynamic. Craig Melton didn't just step aside; he evolved with them. He attended Doyle and Wambach's wedding. Today, Melton lives just a few blocks away from the couple.
In a testament to how far they have come, Wambach (an Olympic gold medalist) and Melton (a former college soccer player) even teamed up to coach their daughter Tish's youth soccer team together. They spend holidays together, share family dinners, and actively demonstrate what a healthy, blended, modern family looks like.
Untamed, released in 2020, sold millions of copies because it captured this exact transition. It gave readers the missing puzzle piece between the broken woman trying to fix her husband in Love Warrior and the confident, boundary-setting woman who built a new life from scratch.
These complex family dynamics and themes of personal freedom are exactly what makes the book such a compelling read for book clubs and personal reflection.
The way Glennon, Abby, and Craig handled their divorce and blended their families is nothing short of remarkable. Instead of letting anger destroy their children's foundation, they actively chose to redesign their relationship into a supportive co-parenting unit. While this level of harmony takes a lot of hard work, it is absolutely possible. If you are navigating a breakup and want to transition from a romantic couple to respectful co-parents without leaving a trail of emotional destruction, there are proven ways to manage that delicate shift.
Conscious Uncoupling
Katherine Woodward Thomas
18 Min8 Key Points4.6 RateThe journey from Love Warrior to Untamed is full of powerful lessons on love, courage, and family. If you're inspired to explore all these ideas but don't have time to read four full books, you can start learning from them in a more efficient way.
Get the main takeaways from all the books mentioned in this story, from Untamed to Conscious Uncoupling, with 15-minute summaries that fit into any busy life.
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FAQ
Did Glennon cheat on Craig with Abby Wambach?
No. Both Glennon and Craig have publicly stated that there was no physical infidelity between Glennon and Abby while Glennon was married. Glennon asked for a separation shortly after meeting Abby at the book conference, ending the marriage before pursuing a physical relationship with the soccer star.
No. Both Glennon and Craig have publicly stated that there was no physical infidelity between Glennon and Abby while Glennon was married. Glennon asked for a separation shortly after meeting Abby at the book conference, ending the marriage before pursuing a physical relationship with the soccer star.
Are Glennon Doyle and her ex-husband still friends?
Yes. Glennon, Abby, and Craig maintain a very close, amicable co-parenting relationship. Craig was a guest at Glennon and Abby's wedding, and they frequently celebrate holidays and family milestones together to support their three children.
Yes. Glennon, Abby, and Craig maintain a very close, amicable co-parenting relationship. Craig was a guest at Glennon and Abby's wedding, and they frequently celebrate holidays and family milestones together to support their three children.
Did Abby Wambach have children before marrying Glennon Doyle?
No. Abby did not have any children from her previous marriage. Upon marrying Glennon, she took on the role of a "bonus mom" to Glennon's three children (Chase, Tish, and Amma) and has been very open about how much she loves parenting them alongside Glennon and Craig.
No. Abby did not have any children from her previous marriage. Upon marrying Glennon, she took on the role of a "bonus mom" to Glennon's three children (Chase, Tish, and Amma) and has been very open about how much she loves parenting them alongside Glennon and Craig.
How much older is Glennon than Abby?
Glennon Doyle was born in March 1976, and Abby Wambach was born in June 1980. They have an age gap of about four years.
Glennon Doyle was born in March 1976, and Abby Wambach was born in June 1980. They have an age gap of about four years.