Jonathan Taylor's wife is Ayanna Chapman. Most people already find it rare to keep a relationship from high school serious and lasting. It seems even more unlikely then for someone whose life and career is constantly under the spotlight.
But for Jonathan Taylor and Ayanna Chapman, none of the hardships that plague professional athletes’ relationships seem to matter. In fact, after several years of dating, the two even tied the knot. In this piece, we will take a look at Jonathan Taylor's wife Ayanna Chapman.
Jonathan Taylor was born and raised in Salem, New Jersey, to father Jonathan James and mother Elizabeth. Taylor grew up an athlete like his father, who used to play basketball for San Francisco State.
Instead of basketball, however, the Salem native went a different path with football. He stood out in his varsity years while playing for the Wisconsin Badgers, eventually placing sixth in the NCAA’s all-time rushers list.
The 5’10” running back later took his talents to the NFL’s 2020 draft, where he was picked 41st overall by the Indianapolis Colts. The 25-year-old has since shined within the highly competitive league, already breaking several Colts records in his relatively young career, which has helped Taylor build a net worth of $16 million.
For the 2021 season, Taylor received First Team All-Pro honors and was selected to the Pro Bowl. He also finished the season as the league’s leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns and finished runner-up for Offensive Player of the Year. Since then, he has struggled to stay healthy but is off to a good start in 2024 with more than 600 yards rushing in seven games.
Who is Jonathan Taylor's wife Ayanna Chapman?
When he was around 15 years old, Taylor met Ayanna Chapman. Back then, they were students in Salem High School in Salem, New Jersey. In fact, according to a Q&A YouTube video, the two shared that they met at a fall sports banquet. The young couple later went on their first date at a basketball match between their school’s team and the Penns Grove Red Devils.
Just like her boyfriend-turned-fiancé, Chapman is equally accomplished. Ayanna Chapman was born to parents Lydia and Eddie Chapman. She grew up with her three siblings: Kewanee, Alycia, and Kayla. Much like her significant other, Chapman comes from an athletic background. In fact, she was part of Salem High School’s field hockey team as a crucial midfielder.
Chapman is no slouch either when it comes to academics. Aside from being a member of the National Honors Society and graduating fourth in her class, the Salem High School alum went on to enroll at Ball State University under a political science degree.
While Chapman pursued her undergraduate degree in Muncie, Indiana, Taylor made a name for himself at Wisconsin. Despite their busy college years, the couple’s relationship stood strong.
Jonathan Taylor and Ayanna Chapman's relationship
However, aside from several Instagram posts, the pair maintained a relatively lowkey relationship. Chapman started making an appearance on Taylor’s Instagram feed in January 2014, around the time their relationship blossomed.
He posted photos of Chapman occasionally for Valentine’s, birthdays, and anniversaries. Similarly, Chapman’s Instagram started as somewhat of a nostalgic trip into their times together. At around the end of January 2014, Chapman similarly posted a selfie of them in the earlier stages of their relationship.
By May 2016, they were still going strong, going to prom together with matching white outfits. Later posts were mostly individual photos of Chapman herself, although she sometimes shared shots of her attending Taylor’s games.
They do have a joint YouTube channel titled Jay T & Ayanna Ly, which has a modest following of a little over 4,300 subscribers. This isn’t really surprising, as the two only post updates every several months. However, when they do, the videos focused mostly on Q&As, YouTuber challenges, and behind-the-scenes footage.
Jonathan Taylor and Ayanna Chapman get engaged, married
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Taylor and Chapman announced their seemingly inevitable engagement after Taylor asked his longtime girlfriend’s hand in marriage. The couple had been together for what seemed like forever, after all. In early March 2022, they each posted photos of the 23-year-old running back down on one knee at an undisclosed beach location.
Taylor and Chapman then celebrated their new chapter in life together with a private candlelight dinner on the beach. “Together we can do anything💙,” Taylor wrote. Chapman herself posted the same photo with the caption: “You always said this was a forever kinda thing 🤍”
Taylor’s teammates, including linebacker Darius Leonard and cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, congratulated the high school sweethearts in the post’s comment section.
In March 2023, Chapman posted photos of their wedding on Instagram, which appeared to be a small outdoor event.
Just as Chapman says, her and Taylor’s relationship does seem to be “a forever kinda thing.” Cheers to the young and happy couple, and we wish nothing but many joyful years ahead for Jonathan Taylor and his wife Ayanna Chapman.
