The NBA is one of the biggest sporting leagues in the world. Hence, the players competing and their families are scrutinized by paparazzi and media outlets. Let us look at NBA superstar Charles Barkley and his not-so-known family who have managed to keep a low profile.
For the unversed, Charles Barkley was a professional basketball player who appeared in 16 seasons of the NBA. The 11X NBA All-Star was first drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1984, followed by the Phoenix Suns in 1992 up until 1996 when he became a part of the Houston Rockets. The 2x Olympics Gold Medal winner is currently plying his trade as a TV analyst for TNT.
What does Maureen Blumhardt do?
Charles Barkley’s wife’s name is Maureen Blumhardt. The couple got hitched in 1989 and Maureen gave birth to Christiana Barkley the same year. Apart from his family commitments, Blumhardt is a successful businesswoman who strongly supports women’s rights and is a lifetime honorary member of the Fresh Start Women’s Foundation.
Currently, a businesswoman Maureen had humble beginnings in a middle-class family. She has four siblings – 2 brothers Michael J. Blumhardt and Richard R. Blumhardt) and two sisters (Ellen T. Palardy and A. Burner). During her early years, Maureen wanted to pursue a career in film but later decided against it.
Maureen met Barkley in Bucks County Pennsylvania where the former was working as a part-time model and legal assistant. Before their meeting, Maureen had already appeared in an advertisement for an exercise machine called Noblerex K-1. The duo were very shy during their first meeting but decided to open up when they met again at City Avenue.
The two fell in love instantly and decided to keep their relationship under wraps due to the societal stigma faced by interracial couples. The duo first had a court marriage and later decided to tie the knot in the presence of family members and friends.
As mentioned earlier, Barkley has a daughter with Maureen named Christina Barkley who is married to an entrepreneur named Ilya Hoffman. Christina did her graduation from Vilanova University in Pennsylvania in 2011 and then a Master of Journalism from the Columbia Journalism School in 2017. The 33-year-old has also worked as a sales assistant for the media goliath Turner Sports.
Meanwhile, Barkley and Maureen have been together for over three decades and Maureen is seldom seen poking fun at Barkley on social media platform X.
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