Jonathan Irons, the husband of the former professional basketball player Maya Moore, served 23 years of his life in prison after being convicted of burglary and assault charges.
He was 16 years old when the authorities apprehended him for using a firearm upon the white homeowner, Stannley Stoler, during a burglary. White Jury proved him a criminal despite the lack of evidence and handed him 50 years imprisonment at the Jefferson City Correctional Center in Missouri.
Fortunately, in 2007, he met the then-rising basketball star Maya Moore while still serving imprisonment at Jefferson City Correctional Centre, who happened to be his savior. After their first meeting, Maya developed an interest in his case.
During her appearance on Good Morning America, Moore said,
I met Jonathan when I was 18. I was about to be a freshman at [the University of Connecticut], and my godparents and my great-uncle introduced me to him and his story, his case.
Via People Reports
She further stated,
He had been wrongfully convicted, he had been in prison over a decade at that point, so I was just interested in learning
Then, the two started communicating via letters and eventually bonded deeply. After getting deeper into his case, Maya thought of using her platform to help her then-future husband, Jonathan, so he could be free from the crime he hadn’t committed.
In 2019, Maya Moore publicly announced that she was putting her basketball career on hold, stating that she wanted to focus more on the release of Jonathan Irons.
Almost a year later, her dream to free the love of her life was fulfilled. Later, both Jonathan and Maya appeared on the show GMA, expressing their happiness about what they achieved.
In an interview, Jonathan expressed gratitude towards Maya and everyone who helped with his release. He said,
I feel like I can live life now. I’m free, I’m blessed, I just want to live my life worthy of God’s help and influence. I thank everybody who supported me- Maya and her family.
After listening to Jonathan, the interviewer moved towards Maya and asked her why she left her career behind just to pick Jonathan’s case. Meanwhile, Maya answered,
When I stepped away two springs ago, I just really wanted to shift my priorities to be able to be more available and present to show up for things that I felt were mattering more than being a professional athlete. And so this is obviously one of the biggest and most direct results of that.
Via ABC news
The duo tied the knot nine days after Jonathan’s release from prison. Maya shared her wedding glimpse on her Instagram on September 16, 2020, writing,
Grateful to announce this new chapter of life! What a miracle ❤️🙏🏽❤️
Well, after marriage, Maya Moore and her husband, Jonathan, co-wrote a book called Love & Justice: A Story of Triumph on Two Different Courts, which narrates their real-life story. The book has recently been nominated for the NAACP Award.
According to a Time report, Maya Moore now runs the non-profit organization Win With Justice, which she founded in 2017, and her husband, Jonathan, supports her with his dog-training business.
Maya Moore Shares Two-Years-Old Son with Her Husband, Jonathan
Two years after tying the knot, Maya Moore and her husband, Jonathan, welcomed a baby boy into their world. They named their son Jonathan Hughston Iron Jr. -nickname JJ.
On July 5, 2022, Maya took to her Instagram to express how happy she was with her new family. She wrote,
Marrying Jonathan was one of the happiest days of my life!
Delivering JJ was one of the proudest days of my life!
Witnessing Jonathan be a Father…Priceless😭
Maya and her now husband’s relationship turned romantic in 2013, six years after their first meeting. Initially, they had developed a sibling-like relationship.
While talking about her love journey, Maya once said that it all happened in their 2013 phone call. Jonathan teased Maya, which made her heart jump, and she thought, “Hold up. That’s not something a brother says to a sister.”
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Maya Moore was born in Jefferson City, Missouri, on June 11, 1989. She is currently 35 years old.
- Her first exposure to basketball was when she was three years old. She started playing the sport properly while studying at Collins Hill High School.
- Maya has been the WNBA champion four times: in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017. She also has won the EuroLeague Women’s Champion two times and many more.
