Ashley Manning is best known as Peyton Manning’s wife, but as the Denver Broncos quarterback led his team back to the Super Bowl, his wife has also been sharing some of the spotlight.
Peyton and Ashley have been married for 15 years, and unlike some other famous wives, she has continually stayed away from the spotlight. But that has recently changed, as Ashley Manning was caught up in an HGH scandal that could end up tainting the end of her husband’s NFL legacy.
Peyton Manning’s wife came under scrutiny after Al Jazeera America posed a former Olympic hurdler undercover to uncover an alleged doping ring. As Larry Brown Sports noted, Ashley Manning was accused of receiving shipments of HGH under her name that her husband then used while recovering from a neck injury.
“Al Jazeera clarified that they never accused Peyton Manning of using or taking HGH to recover from his neck surgery in 2011, but they stand by their report based on the information from [pharmacist Charlie Sly]. In fact, they even added that a second source confirmed the report that Manning was sent shipments of HGH.”
“Ashley Manning also reportedly received the HGH illegally . If she had a medical condition that necessitated HGH treatment, why wouldn’t she just obtain it legally? And wouldn’t the Mannings be more careful knowing that Peyton needed to avoid HGH ties since the substance is banned by the NFL? You would think so.”
Ashley Manning ended up in the spotlight again as her husband Peyton Manning faced — and defeated — the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. The game was billed as Peyton’s last chance to reach the Super Bowl, with his retirement likely looming and the prospect of an HGH investigation still ahead.
It wasn’t all about Peyton. Ashley Manning was a trending term across Google and social media during the AFC Championship Game, with thousands of references on Twitter.
Looks like Ashley Manning got a shipment of HGH in the mail this week. #ChampionshipSunday
— Avin Das (@JimmySparkles) January 24, 2016
Early game ball vote goes to Ashley Manning.
— Drew (@DrewfromJersey) January 24, 2016
The game, and the attention on Ashley Manning, was an interesting juxtaposition for the other quarterback in the game. Peyton Manning was facing his longtime rival, Tom Brady, who has perhaps the most famous NFL wife of all time. Brady is married to supermodel Gisele Bundchen, who has consistently been the highest-paid model and has a net worth of around $400 million.
#NFL #Patriots New England whiskey company zings Peyton Manning over HGH story https://t.co/wC6YpRDCRv pic.twitter.com/odG7Sp6heM
— Patriots Fan Zone (@PatriotsFanZone) January 24, 2016
Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are trying to let their play, not their scandals, define them https://t.co/VLjtGEMiqh pic.twitter.com/Vx9ZTTvl1p
— SB Nation NFL (@SBNationNFL) January 24, 2016
Ashley Manning is successful in her own right, graduating from the University of Virginia with a degree in finance and marketing and making a name for herself in the real estate world. She also recently became a part-owner of the Memphis Grizzlies.
But Peyton and Ashley Manning have for the most part stayed out of the spotlight. The couple welcomed twins in 2011 — a boy named Marshall and a girl named Mosley — but the family is not often seen in public together. Ashley and the kids stayed away from Peyton’s introductory press conference in Denver in 2012, though Peyton has always had good things to say about the family.
“My entire family keeps me positive and they always support me,” Peyton told People magazine prior to the Super Bowl in February. “They will be coming to town to be with me. Without them, I would not be where I am today. I am very grateful.”
But for all their efforts to stay out of the spotlight, Peyton and Ashley Manning could end up getting quite a bit of press in the near future. There are reports that the NFL is still investigating the HGH allegations, if Peyton continues his career he and Ashley could both end up getting called in to testify.
[AP Photo/David Zalubowski]