WNBA star Maya Moore revealed that she has married Jonathan Irons, the man she helped free from prison this year after a wrongful conviction. Irons served more than two decades of a prison sentence until he was released in July.
Appearing together on “Good Morning America,” Moore, 31, said Wednesday that she and Irons, 40, got married a couple of months ago.
“We wanted to announce today that we are super excited to continue the work that we’ve been doing together, but doing it as a married couple,” Moore said.
Through family and friends, Moore met Irons when she was 18 before attending UConn. They got to know each other as she took an interest in his case and became friends.
“Over time it was pretty clear what the Lord was doing in our hearts,” she said on “GMA.” “Now, we’re sitting here today starting a whole new chapter together.”
The Jefferson City, Missouri native put her career on hold to help Irons, who was just 16 years old when he was convicted for a 1997 home invasion and shooting and sentenced to 50 years in prison.
In March, a judge threw out his conviction, citing multiple issues with the case. The Missouri attorney general’s office unsuccessfully appealed the judge’s decision and the lead prosecutor in St. Charles County decided against a retrial.
Irons, now a justice reform activist, said in the interview that he first proposed while he was still in prison, but didn’t want to “trap” her from fulfilling her dreams of becoming a wife and a mother. He later asked again when he was freed.
Moore posted a photo Wednesday of her and Irons on their wedding day. She wrote in the caption: “Grateful to announce this new chapter of life! What a miracle!”
Both Moore and Irons have been involved in social justice and voting initiatives since he was released. They released a video together on Wednesday urging people to vote.
Moore, who is sitting out from playing basketball for the second straight season, has won four titles with the Minnesota Lynx. She said a return to the hardwood was still possible.
“I’m hoping sometime in the spring we’ll be able have a next step moving forward,” Moore told GMA. “But now, I am trying to really just breathe from this long, long battle, and enjoy and rest… there’s a lot of unknowns for a lot of us right now, so I’m still in that camp.”
