ESPN Analyst Shaded Russell Wilson's Ex During NFL Draft
The 2020 NFL draft is truly the give that keeps on giving, especially when it comes to viral content. Sure, it's always exciting to know who got drafted by which teams and see everyone's reactions, but the shade was on a whole other level this time around. Dallas Cowboys' selection CeeDee Lamb and his girlfriend, Crymson Rose, starred in quite a few memes after he snatched his phone away from her hands when it appeared that she may have been snooping. That being said, they aren't the only people getting roasted.
The New York Post reported that ESPN analyst Emmanuel Acho threw some major shade at NFL star Russell Wilson's ex-wife, Ashton Meem. Considering the fact that her last name is "Meem," it was all but inevitable that she would be the subject of a meme or two in her life, but this one was pretty savage.
Acho posted two photos, one with Wilson and Meem and another with Wilson and Ciara, his wife, who is pregnant with their second child together. Along with the side-by-side pictures, he wrote, "As we prepare for day 2 of the #NFLDraft, girlfriends remember to play it cool. It's not where you start, it's where you finish."
Meem and Wilson were high school sweethearts, per the Daily Mail. She was by his side during the 2012 NFL draft when he was selected by the Seattle Seahawks. They got married that same year, ultimately divorcing in 2014.
An affair might have led to Russell Wilson's divorce
In April 2014, Russell Wilson announced his split from then-wife Ashton Meem, per ESPN. The two of them stayed quiet about the circumstances surrounding their breakup. However, there were rumors that Meem had an affair with Golden Tate, another Seattle Seahawk, who denied this many times. In 2015, he wrote a column for The Cauldron to squash the rumors. He said, "I did not have an affair with Russell Wilson's wife, nor did I have anything to do with his divorce." He even put the word "not" in both italics and bold.
Tate emphasized, "That is laughable for anyone who knows us. His ex-wife, Ashton, is still best friends with my girlfriend. Russell and I were good friends when I was in Seattle, on and off the field — he knows the rumors about me were unfounded, damaging to my reputation, and an attack on my character. Anyone who circulated that rumor was just plain irresponsible."
In Tate's eyes, Wilson should have put a stop to the affair rumor. Instead, he said absolutely nothing. In 2015, Tate slammed Wilson's silence as "a bunch of bulls**t," telling TMZ, "It's sad that he's letting this go on." Wilson still hasn't commented, but in 2015 he told CBS Sports: "I've been through some heartaches. I married the person I was with in high school ... that didn't work out, unfortunately. I just trusted God would do the healing process. I'd gone through some ups and downs."
Russell Wilson is happily married to Ciara
In 2015, Russell Wilson and Ciara went public with their relationship. That year, CBS Sports reported on a talk that he gave to The Rock Church, revealing his pledge to abstain from sex. He claimed that God told him "I need you to lead her" and that's when Wilson asked Ciara: "What would you do if we took all that extra stuff off the table and just do it Jesus' way?" She agreed and they continued their relationship, with plenty of shade from his ex-wife Ashton Meem and her ex-fiance Future.
Wilson proposed to Ciara in March 2016. Meem didn't comment, but International Business Times reported that she changed her Twitter profile picture to a photo with her engagement ring emphasized. Fun fact: she still goes by her married name on the platform.
Wilson and Ciara tied the knot in July 2016, leaving celibacy behind and pretty much immediately conceiving a child. In April 2017, Ciara gave birth to a baby girl named Sienna. Ciara already had a son from her relationship with Future. In January 2020, the Seahawk announced that they were expecting child "number three" in a tweet. On April 14, 2020, Ciara shared a video from their low key gender reveal celebration. They found out they are expecting a boy.
The world "met" Meem when a photo of her went viral from that 2012 draft, so, hopefully, she's developed tough skin from that experience. While Ciara wasn't by Wilson's side when he was drafted, they have made plenty of memories in their new life together.
Ashton Meem thought her future was with Russell Wilson
Just months before Russell Wilson announced his divorce, Ashton Meem gave a revealing interview on Seattle's Tom & Curley Show, providing intimate details about their relationship at the time. "Honestly, we just try to keep our home life as normal as possible," she said about their downtime. "We just try and keep it real, realize what my husband does is a job ... and what really matters is that we don't change no matter what changes around our environment."
Meem was then asked about the couple's goals post-football, to which she replied, "I think it's something that we're figuring out now. It really helps to have family and friends around and good mentors and people to talk to, to figure out other interests so that whenever that chapter closes we already know what other chapter we're going to try and start writing together."
Wilson ultimately decided to write his next chapter with Ciara, so there's a good chance Meem had to recalibrate her future plans as a result.
As for Meem's dating life now, it's unclear whether she has remarried.