Charles Barkley is one of the most well-known former NBA players on the planet. Over the course of his 16-year year career, he played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, and Houston Rockets. He was named an NBA All-Star eleven times. Since retiring as a player, he’s become a successful NBA analyst and has even won four Sports Emmy Awards. But when it comes to his personal life, is he just as successful? The answer is yes! Here’s the inside scoop on Maureen Blumhardt, Charles Barkley’s wife.
Who Is Maureen Blumhardt?
Maureen Blumhardt was born on January 15, 1960, in Scottsdale, Arizona. She was a legal aid and model who reportedly worked for an exercise equipment company. Unlike her famous husband, Blumhardt does not spend a lot of time in the spotlight. She rarely makes public appearances with Barkley. Therefore, very little is known about her upbringing and personal life.
When Did Charles Barkley Get Married To Maureen Blumhardt?
The former NBA player and his wife have been married for over 30 years. According to reports, Blumhardt met her husband-to-be at a Pennsylvania restaurant called City Avenue sometime in the 1980s, when Barkley played for the Philadelphia 76ers. The couple tied the knot in 1989 and have been together ever since.
Maureen Blumhardt and Charles Barkley Have One Child Together
Maureen Blumhardt and Charles Barkley have one child together — a daughter named Christiana. Now 31, she recently got married, and both her mom and famous dad were there to support her.
“My only child, the most important thing in my life is getting married on Saturday,” Barkley said in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel prior to the wedding. “I’m so excited for her and my future son-in-law. I’m just excited for her ‘cause this is her special day and hopefully this will be the only one, too.”
As it turns out, Barkley’s new son-in-law, a New York software developer named Ilya Hoffman, didn’t know much about the former NBA pro when they first met. “I’m not a sports fan,” Hoffman admitted in a New York Times article about the wedding. “’I don’t watch sports. I don’t play sports.”
Nevertheless, Hoffman gets along great with his famous father-in-law and says he’s impressed with how he handles his fame. “When you go out to dinner with Charles, people can be pretty rude, like, ‘Hey, Charles, can I take a picture with you?’ But every single time he puts a smile on his face,” Hoffman said. “He’s the most generous person. He never gets annoyed.”
Luckily, the feeling is mutual, and Barkley is thrilled to give his only daughter away. “I love [Hoffman’s] family, they’re amazing people, they’ve been living in Long Island for a long time,” Barkley said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! “And it’s going to be a welcome addition to my family.”
Maureen Is A Member Of The Fresh Start Women’s Foundation
In addition to being a proud mom and wife of an NBA great, Blumhardt is an activist and humanitarian. She’s a member of the Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, a non-profit in Phoenix dedicated to empowering women. The organization provides a range of services designed to help women create a brighter future for themselves, including life skills workshops, career and education classes, mentoring and social work services, and more.
Blumhardt has also tried her hand at comedy — on Twitter, that is. It seems the 60-year-old beauty likes to use the social media platform to share jokes and wise cracks (of the cheesy variety!).
Some of her other gems include:
“Snow White is one dwarf down. Apparently, Sneezy has been on self quarantine for the past 10 months.”
“I just found out that I’m colorblind. I had no idea. It came out of the green!”
“I went to a dentist once that made me come back in for another mold of my mouth. Needless to say, he made a bad first impression.”
Blumhardt has even made a few jokes at Barkley’s expense, including:
“My husband told me that when he does extreme cardio, he gets sweaty, his heart races & he loses his breath. I told him it’s probably an allergic reaction.”
“My husband told me our dryer was shrinking his clothing. I told him that I think it’s our refrigerator.”
What do you think, does Maureen Blumhardt have a career as a comedian in her future?