Hafþór “Thor” Björnsson — better known as The Mountain — is celebrated for his immense strength, massive build, and unforgettable role in Game of Thrones. Yet lately, it’s his relationship with his much smaller wife that has captured the internet’s fascination.
And now, she’s finally addressing the one question everyone keeps asking.
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson is an Icelandic strongman and actor famous for portraying “The Mountain” on Game of Thrones. Standing 6’9” and weighing over 400 pounds, he is considered one of the strongest men alive, earning the title of World’s Strongest Man in 2018.
Trying to describe Hafþór’s size is almost impossible without understating it. Those so-called “tree-trunk arms” barely do him justice. With 17-inch biceps, a 45-inch waist, and a chest measuring 63 inches around, his proportions are astonishing. Even his fingers look as though they were designed specifically for power.
In 2014, Björnsson’s life shifted dramatically. Already the third most decorated strongman in history, he decided to step into the world of acting.
Things became serious when he was cast as Ser Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane in Season 4 of Game of Thrones—a role that completely transformed his career.
He even starred alongside Mike Tyson.
At first, he could hardly believe the casting call was real. When the Game of Thrones team contacted him during their time filming in Iceland, he assumed it had to be a prank.
“I thought it was some kind of joke. I had no acting experience,” he said. “I was just a big guy competing in Strongman.”
Björnsson’s towering frame and unforgettable presence turned him into an international sensation. He remained on the series for several seasons, and in 2015 he took on the lead role at the first-ever Philadelphia Renaissance Faire, where he played ‘King Thor,’ a Viking war leader determined to conquer the city of Amman.
In 2019, he made another major career move when he co-starred with Mike Tyson in the action movie Pharaoh’s War, where Tyson played a mysterious ex-soldier protecting Egyptian refugees from ruthless mercenaries.
Björnsson also appeared in the historical epic The Northman, sharing the screen with Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, and Willem Dafoe.
But his personal life has been far more turbulent.
Several ex-girlfriends have accused Hafþór of domestic abuse. One former partner, Thelma Björk Steimann—the mother of his daughter—claimed she feared for her life during a vacation and filed charges.
“I honestly thought he wouldn’t hit me when I was pregnant,” Steimann told the Icelandic outlet Fréttablaðið.
However, police found no evidence supporting her allegations, and Björnsson later filed a defamation suit against her. He has always insisted he has never been violent toward women.
The situation escalated to the point where Hafþór was barred from seeing his daughter for three years. Thankfully, things have since stabilized, and he now visits his daughter, Theresa Líf, who lives in Denmark with her mother.
Meeting Kelsey Henson
In late 2017, a chance encounter in Alberta changed Hafþór’s life. The strongman was in Canada promoting Icelandic Mountain Vodka and competing at the Warwick Strongman Festival.
There, he met Kelsey Morgan Henson—a Canadian fitness model and waitress—who caught his attention immediately. Their story began when Kelsey approached him for a photo. That single moment sparked a romance that neither expected.
The couple quickly became a sensation, not only because of Hafþór’s towering height but also because of the striking difference between them. Kelsey stands just 5 feet 2 inches tall—more than a foot and a half shorter—yet what started as a visually surprising pairing quickly became something deeper and more meaningful.
They married in August 2018, celebrating their union with a beautiful ceremony.
“It is with immense joy that I now get to call Kelsey Morgan Henson my wife,” he wrote beneath a wedding photo.
“I get to embrace this beautiful woman through all of life’s ups and downs for the rest of our days! I’m thrilled for all the future adventures we will face together. #justmarried.”
On September 26, 2020, their family grew with the birth of their son, Stormur Magni Hafþórsson, forever joining them in parenthood.
A heartbreaking loss
One of the most devastating moments in their marriage came on November 10, 2023, when the couple shared the tragic news that their baby daughter had passed away at 21 weeks.
Posting photos of the brief time they spent with her, they announced the loss of Grace Morgan Hafþórsdóttir in a deeply emotional Instagram message.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the birth of our daughter, Grace Morgan Hafþórsdóttir, born Nov 8th at 21 1/2 weeks gestation. After noticing a significant decrease in movement, we learned that her heart had stopped beating,” they revealed.
