Maya Moore marries man she helped free from wrongful conviction

 

WNBA star, Maya Moore has married Jonathan Irons, the Missouri man she helped work to free from prison after a 22-year-old wrongful conviction.

 

Irons was 16 when he was convicted for a 1997 home invasion and shooting and sentenced to 50 years in prison. He served more than two decades of prison sentence until he was released in July.

 

Appearing together on "Good Morning America," Moore, 31, revealed on Wednesday September 16, 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. 

 

The basketballer later took to Instagram to share a lovely photo from their wedding with the caption: "Grateful to announce this new chapter of life! What a miracle."

 

Irons, who is 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. 

 

“I wanted to marry her but at the same time protect her because being in a relationship with a man in prison, it’s extremely difficult and painful,” he said. “And I didn’t want her to feel trapped and I wanted her to feel open and have the ability anytime if this is too much for you, go and find somebody. Live your life. Because this is hard.”

 

On the night, he asked Moore to be his wife, he said: “I got down on my knees and I looked up at her and she kind of knew what was going on,” Irons said. “I said, ‘Will you marry me.’ She said, ‘Yes.’ ”

 

 

According to CBS News, Moore met Irons when she was 18 before attending UConn and had to put her career on hold in 2019 to help Irons get out of prison. 

 

In March, a judge threw out his conviction, citing multiple issues with the case. An appeal against the decision by the Missouri attorney general's office was unsuccessful and the lead prosecutor in St. Charles County decided against a retrial.

 

Moore who is sitting out from playing basketball for the second straight season, has won two NCAA titles with Connecticut, four WNBA titles with the Minnesota Lynx, and two Olympic gold medals.