The legendary NBA player and current sports personality/analyst met his wife during his years as a Philadelphia 76er in the 1980s. In 1989, the couple got married and welcomed their only child, daughter Christiana Barkley.
While Barkley and Blumhardt rarely open up about their relationship, the former basketball player has been incredibly supportive of his daughter. Ahead of Christiana's wedding in 2021, Barkley appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and discus
"I'm gonna do Zac Brown [Band's song], 'The Man Who Loves You the Most,' " Charles said. "I love the words of it ... so I can't wait to dance with [my daughter] on her wedding night."
So, who is Charles Barkley’s wife? Here’s everything to know about Maureen Blumhardt and her relationship with the NBA legend turned TV host.
The couple welcomed their only child, a daughter named Christiana, in 1989.
Christiana graduated from Villanova University in 2011 and later obtained her master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University in 2017, per The New York Times. As a Villanova alum, Christiana is, unsurprisingly, a fan of the school's basketball team — and she passed along her passion to her father. During Villanova's NCAA tournament run in 2016, Barkley explained to USA Today why he was rooting for the school.
"My daughter was living and dying with every game for the last three weeks, so I was really more excited for her, to be honest with you,” he explained. “She's been going to a Villanova bar in New York City every game. She didn’t even want to come to the game because she didn’t want to jinx the game."
On March 6, 2021, Christiana married her longtime boyfriend, Ilya Hoffman, at the Andaz Scottsdale Resort and Bungalows in her family’s hometown.
"I love his family, they're amazing people, they've been living in Long Island for a long time," Charles shared with Jimmy Kimmel of his son-in-law. "And it's going to be a welcome addition to my family."
She and Barkley have secrets to keeping their marriage alive
In March 2022, Barkley spoke about the secret to his long-lasting marriage during an appearance on The Volume podcast.
“Well number one, I’m gone a lot. That always helps,” Barkey joked, before adding, “I think the main reason is she accepts me, flaws and all ... She doesn’t judge me. She accepts me how I am. She’s a great mother."
The couple reside in Scottsdale, Arizona, and keep their lives out of the spotlight in the town. Barkley previously played for the Phoenix Suns from 1992 to 1996.
In 2015, Barkley was inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame. (He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame nearly a decade prior.) He later served as an honorary chair for the 2021 Arizona Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
She is a philanthropist
Blumhardt is an honorary member of the Phoenix-based organization Fresh Start Women’s Foundation.
“Moving from ‘survive' to 'thrive,’ " the organization's website states. “From establishing household stability to launching a new career in today’s most in-demand fields, our strategic approach helps women not only achieve economic independence, but sustain it.”
In 2016, Blumhardt and Christiana were photographed together at the Fresh Start Women's Foundation's annual gala, according to Arizona Foothills Magazine.
