His story and the story of Maya Moore’s family should inspire us to redouble our efforts to fight for the wrongly convicted, fight for alternatives to prison, and fight for a country that doesn’t warehouse people who can’t afford justice. Their friendship evolved into love, but Irons decided not to pursue Moore initially. Irons in what they thought would be his final appeal. WNBA superstar Maya Moore announced her marriage to Jonathan Irons on Good Morning America Wednesday, but this is anything but a typical athlete wedding. It’s a reminder that hope, even when it feels like just a gasping glimmer, still exists. "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. A sterling career put on hold, justice finally served, and now a couple forged in unusual circumstances. Dave ZirinTwitterDave Zirin is the sports editor of The Nation and the author of Game Over: How Politics Has Turned the Sports World Upside Down. Congratulations to the happy couple! Moore, who was 18 at the time, met 16-year-old Jonathan Irons at a prison ministry in 1998. Knowing the system had convicted the wrong man, she used her fame from the court to raise awareness of her friend’s plight, working tirelessly in the public forum, and through the court system to have Irons’ case examined by a judge again. The only other evidence submitted was a police affidavit from an officer who claimed Irons confessed to the crime during an interrogation, but there was no recording of the interrogation, or any other officer present. Irons says he eventually proposed in a hotel room after hanging out with some close friends. Because this is hard.”. © 2020 EHM PRODUCTIONS,INC. So hats off to people that sacrifice, that pay a cost of a platform, of a job, of money to stand up for something greater than yourselves and at the end of the day, if we remember we're human beings first, I think it'll make it a little less controversial.". WNBA star Maya Moore just dropped a bombshell -- she MARRIED the man she helped free from prison!! Hours later, Irons was the one kneeling. We’ve Entered the Era of ‘Branding for Black Lives’ Moore led the charge to free Irons from prison after two decades of wrongful incarceration, and during that process the two fell in love. The couple said they planned to continue to educate people about voting and to help others who had been wrongfully convicted. Irons first met Ms. Moore in prison, he was skeptical. It is also a sobering reminder: Jonathan Irons was meant to be buried by this system. By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. 40-year-old Irons was serving a 50-year prison sentence stemming from a 1998 burglary and assault conviction in Missouri, despite no real evidence proving his guilt. Hours later, Irons was the one kneeling. Mr. Log out? "When we take time to stand up for people, and to shine a light in a dark place, not everybody is going to like it," she had said. Mr. They became like family. Ms. Moore took a break from basketball to help free Jonathan Irons. There was no physical evidence connecting him to the crime, but he was still handed a stunning 65-year prison sentence by an all-white jury. Irons in prison, they both admitted they had strong feelings for each other. He asked Moore to marry him that night and the two have since wed. "We wanted to announce today that we are super excited to continue the work that we are doing together, but doing it as a married couple," Moore said on "Good Morning America" on ABC with Robin Roberts. Click here to log in or subscribe. Irons said, he knelt down and asked Ms. Moore to marry him. Basketball star turned activist Maya Moore revealed that she and Jonathan Irons have married.. “We’re doing our part,” Mr. For now, the happy couple get to start their life together in earnest. In 2019 Moore stunned the basketball world by announcing she would skip the WNBA season to focus on ministry and outreach. JUST WATCHED The two met in 1998, when Moore was just 16 years old, in a prison ministry. Kent Gipson, Mr. Irons’s lawyer, argued that the state withheld that evidence, which could have shown someone else was responsible for the crime. Skip to main content Got A Tip? I would not have this chance if not for her and her wonderful family. Irons was 16 when the crime for which he was convicted occurred. As Jonathan Irons took his first steps outside of prison more than two months ago, Maya Moore dropped to her knees in relief and happiness. Irons did so alone and failed to record the conversation. "I didn't want her to feel trapped and I wanted her to feel open and have the ability any time if this is too much for you, go and find somebody. Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! Maya Moore is now married to Jonathan Irons, the man she helped free from prison James Dator 9/16/2020. Ms. Moore added that sometime in the spring she would have a “next step moving forward” concerning her basketball career, which she put on hold last year to answer what she said was a call from God. Athletes Are No Substitute for a Functioning Government, Trump Doesn’t Have a Path to Victory Through the Courts, ‘You Have to Listen to the Streets’: Rebel Diaz on Hip Hop and the Chilean Constitution. A journey for justice turned into a love story when Maya Moore, one of the W.N.B.A.’s brightest stars, married the man she helped free from prison. Women of the Century: Billie Jean King says everyone needs a champion. For SMU Student Shot And Killed On Halloween, Americans Look North During Election Suspense, ©2020 EHM PRODUCTIONS,INC. Live your life. Mr. Get TMZ breaking news sent right to your browser! Her resume is full of superlatives. But there were no corroborating witnesses, fingerprints, DNA or blood evidence connecting Mr. The judge’s decision hinged on fingerprint evidence that had not been divulged by prosecutors in Mr. Irons’s initial trial. "And I didn't want her to feel trapped and I wanted her to feel open and have the ability any time if this is too much for you, go and find somebody. It’s unclear if Moore will return to the court. Moore says she met Irons when she was 18 through a prison ministry program and grew close over the years while fighting for his freedom. The man, Jonathan Irons, walked out of a Missouri prison on July 1 — more than 20 years after he was convicted on charges of burglary and assault. Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca. Tennis legend Billie Jean King uses her fame to champion women on and off the court, and fight for equal pay, LGBTQ rights, and racial justice. After 23 years in prison Jeremy Irons was free, and he knew who to thank for it. The more we got to know him, the more outrage our family started to feel, especially seeing what an awesome person he is despite his circumstances and how he’s grown and the things he’s trying to do to fight for himself and continue to be a light where he is. VIDEO: People in Denmark Are a Lot Happier Than People in the United States. But there is a sobering lesson beneath this feel-good story. A few years ago, when Ms. Moore came to visit Mr. There was no forensic evidence or credible witnesses who could confirm Irons as being in the home. Copyright (c) 2020 The Nation Company LLC. Moore -- considered one of the greatest WNBA players EVER -- had stepped away from the league in 2019 and 2020 to focus on social justice issues ... starting with freeing Jonathan Irons. Irons was only 16 at the time of the conviction. “I feel like I can live life now,” Irons said. The newlyweds are also making plans to assist wrongfully convicted individuals seek justice who "don't have the resources or the blessings that I have been blessed with," Irons said. Evidence in the case hinged on Stotler’s testimony. The WNBA star, who left professional basketball two seasons ago to … Hours later, Irons was the one kneeling. Star, Marries Man She Helped Free From Prison, walked out of a Missouri prison on July 1, put on hold last year to answer what she said was a call from God. Updated 9:43 AM ET, Thu September 17, 2020 . (CNN)Four-time WNBA champion Maya Moore sat out for an entire season to help overturn the conviction of Jonathan Irons, who she said was wrongfully serving a 50-year- prison sentence. Stanley Stotler, a home owner, returned to find his door open and someone inside. WNBA superstar Maya Moore announced her marriage to Jonathan Irons on Good Morning America Wednesday, but this is anything but a typical athlete wedding. By George Ramsay, CNN. He had been convicted of burglary and assault charges as a 16-year-old by an all-white jury following an incident in 1998. Irons and his lawyers denied that. Because this is hard. If that were the end of the story, it would be gripping enough. Dave Zirin. As Jonathan Irons took his first steps outside of prison more than two months ago, Maya Moore dropped to her knees in relief and happiness.. “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. This continued in 2020 when Moore announced that she’d once again skip the season, instead focusing on criminal justice reform. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Irons insisted he wasn’t at the scene, and police had arrested the wrong man. Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. She sent him books by her favorite spiritual writers, and sometimes before her big games, they spoke on the phone. But she kept in touch by sending him books and letters, as well as visiting when home from college. Live your life. "Thank God it's over," Moore said in a video of Irons' release she posted on her Instagram, captioned with the word "FREEDOM.". No star athlete has ever walked away in their prime to pursue the aims of social justice. Considered one of the greatest WNBA players of all time, Sports Illustrated named her Performer of the Year in 2017. Moore was resolute that she loves Irons, and one way or another the pair were going to be together. Email Or Call (888) 847-9869 ... WNBA's Maya Moore Marries Jonathan Irons, Man … Irons, 40, always maintained his innocence, and the two met prior to the two-time Olympian's freshman season at Connecticut through her family friends' prison ministry program in 2007. You could say that Maya Moore, 31, and Jonathan Irons, 40, found love in a hopeless place. His conviction on burglary and assault charges was overturned in March. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Download the TMZ App on the Apple App Store, Download the TMZ App on the Google Play Store. Now they are family. Irons admitted to breaking into the victim’s home, but Mr. ", "We got married a couple months ago and we're excited to just continue this new chapter of life together. You can read our Privacy Policy here. When she played in college at the University of Connecticut, the Huskies went undefeated in back-to-back seasons, winning national titles in 2009 and 2010. Considered one of the greatest WNBA players of all time, Sports Illustrated named her Performer of the Year in 2017. "We got married a couple months ago and we're excited to just continue this new chapter of life together.". Irons called Ms. Moore a lifesaver who gave him hope. On July 2 judge Daniel Green vacated Irons’ conviction, saying there were numerous problems in the prosecution’s case, citing the suspect fingerprint report. Join the Nation Festival for four days of essential conversation and commentary in the wake of the 2020 election. The case, the advocacy for freedom: These were the elements the public knew about. But there is a … Prosecutors claimed that Mr. For more information, visit our Privacy PolicyX, Maya Moore and Jonathan Irons. Despite a shaky case from the prosecution, Irons was convicted as an adult, and sentenced to 50 years in prison. https://t.co/XQgDH7hJAY pic.twitter.com/oattxmhhzO. Telling Good Morning America that he felt it was unfair to put the pressure of a relationship on her, knowing he was behind bars. Waiting for your permission to load the comments. He said he wanted to marry her, but he said he also felt a need to protect her “because being in a relationship with a man in prison is extremely difficult and painful.”. Maya Moore has married the man she helped free from prison.
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