Tying The Knot

WNBA star Maya Moore just dropped a bombshell -- she MARRIED the man she helped free from prison!!

Moore -- considered one of the greatest WNBA players EVER -- had stepped away from the league in 2019 and 2020 to focus on social justice issues ... starting with freeing Jonathan Irons.

40-year-old Irons was serving a 50-year prison sentence stemming from a 1998 burglary and assault conviction in Missouri, despite no real evidence proving his guilt. Irons was only 16 at the time of the conviction.

Moore says she met Irons when she was 18 through a prison ministry program and grew close over the years while fighting for his freedom.

When he was released from prison in July, Moore was there waiting for him ... and they tied the knot shortly after.

"We wanted to announce today that we are super excited to continue the work that we are doing together, but doing it as a married couple," Moore announced on "Good Morning America."

"We got married a couple months ago and we're excited to just continue this new chapter of life together."

Moore explained the growth of their relationship ... saying, "Over the last 13 years we have just developed a friendship and just entered into this huge battle to get him home and just over time it was pretty clear what the Lord was doing in our hearts and now we're sitting here today, starting a whole new chapter together."

Irons told GMS it became clear he wanted to marry Moore while he was still locked up at the Jefferson City Correctional Center, but didn't want to make a move until he was free.

"I wanted to marry her but at the same time protect her because being in a relationship with a man in prison, it's extremely difficult and painful," Irons said.

"I didn't want her to feel trapped and I wanted her to feel open and have the ability any time if this is too much for you, go and find somebody. Live your life. Because this is hard."

Irons says he eventually proposed in a hotel room after hanging out with some close friends.

"It was just me and her in the room and I got down on my knees and I looked up at her and she kind of knew what was going on and I said, 'Will you marry me?' She said, 'Yes!'"

As for the wedding reception, Moore and Irons say they had special COVID protocols -- including guests in masks and social distancing.

Lily Allen and David Harbour appear to be on track to get hitched -- 'cause they just bought a window that all but indicates they should be man and wife within 12 months.

The singer-songwriter and "Stranger Things" star have obtained a marriage license in Las Vegas ... according to public records obtained by TMZ. Of course, they gotta have that license come before walking down the aisle and getting their marriage certificate. We checked, and no certificate's been created yet.

The license info says they got it Sunday. It's valid for exactly one year to the date, so they have until 9/6/2021 to say "I do" before it expires. Considering they got the license in Vegas, it's possible they already did a quickie wedding ... but haven't yet filed the certificate.

Remember, just a few short months ago ... Lily confirmed engagement rumors when she flashed a huge rock on THAT finger while showing off her toned bod in a mirror selfie. When someone asked her about it, she basically spilled the tea.

David and Lily have stayed pretty private about their relationship -- not even hinting they were dating until just recently. Now, it seems there's a good chance they'll be exchanging vows in front of an Elvis impersonator.

Congrats?

Niecy Nash is trying her hand at marriage again ... and this time it's with a woman.

The "Claws" star recently tied the knot with singer Jessica Betts and Niecy is taking her partner's name.

Niecy just announced the marriage on social media and says she's now Mrs. Carol Denise Betts.

TMZ broke the stories ... Niecy filed for divorce from her husband Jay Tucker back in December, and in March the exes finalized their divorce.

Niecy became officially single in the eyes of the law June 21, and it only took her a couple months to get hitched again.

The wedding ceremony, in the middle of a pandemic, looks beautiful ... Niecy's wearing a flowing, white wedding gown and Jessica's in a tie and vest.

The marriage is coming as a surprise to lots of folks ... most people did not know Niecy was engaged to a woman. She's always been an LGBTQ ally but was never out ... until now.

As Niecy says in her Instagram stories with Jessica, "#PlotTwist."

Kid Rock is off the market again ... he just got "married" to Loretta Lynn!!!

The rocker and 88-year-old country music legend got crazy over the weekend after Loretta's friends renewed their vows ... Loretta was in a wedding veil, and Kid Rock dropped to a knee and took her hand for what seemed to be a proposal.

Loretta explained what went down on her Facebook page ... she says she and Kid Rock "always teased about getting ourselves married" and with the preacher already in the house, they decided to have some fun with the situation.

Hold your horses, though ... turns out, it wasn't a real wedding. Bummer.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg took a break from her legal duties with the Supreme Court to preside over a more intimate affair ... a weekend wedding.

It looks like the 87-year-old Justice has recovered from a couple recent hospitalizations and is feeling spry enough to serve as the marriage officiant for Barb Solish, Communications Director at the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and her hubby, Danny Kazin.

Solish shared a photo of RBG directing their Sunday nuptials and said ... "2020 has been rough, but yesterday was Supreme."

Solish also quashed any COVID-19 concerns for Ruth too, by pointing out she and her husband tested negative before the wedding.

As we reported ... the Justice was hospitalized in late July for a non-surgical procedure -- her second trip that month after also suffering from an infection. Add that to news of her cancer returning, creating a major cause for concern about her well-being.

Big ups to Manti Te'o ... the NFL player found VERY REAL love after the world's worst catfish incident -- and he's officially a married man!

The 29-year-old ex-Notre Dame superstar swapped "I Do's" with longtime girlfriend Jovi Nicole Engbino on the beach in La Jolla, CA.

The couple kept the ceremony super small due to the COVID pandemic -- but plan to have a bigger celebration with family and friends once it's safe.

"I couldn't give you the world but I think I did better," Te'o said on social media ... "I gave you my last name and it looks good on you Mrs. Te'o."

Of course, Te'o began dating Jovi -- a fitness pro -- back in 2015 ... just a few years after he was famously tricked into falling in love with the fictitious "Lennay Kekua" during his time as a Golden Domer.

The nearly 10-year-old story is still wild to look back on ... Te'o family acquaintance Ronaiah Tuiasosopo duped the linebacker into getting into a virtual relationship with a fake woman.

Tuiasosopo admitted to altering his voice when speaking with Te'o on the phone as part of the rouse.

Te'o was told "Lennay" died after a cancer battle in 2012 -- and he told the emotional story on national television interviews.

Once Te'o learned he had been duped -- he said the situation was "painful and humiliating."

To his credit, Te'o never got too down over it all ... and in 2015, he began dating Jovi in what now appears to be a hugely successful relationship.

"Yesterday I got to marry my best friend and the love of my life in an intimate beach ceremony," Jovi said Sunday of the wedding. "Although this was not how we envisioned our ceremony, it was perfect."

This is what ya call wedding fireworks, but not the scheduled kind -- Mother Nature dropping a lighting bolt on a happy couple when the groom dares to talk smack about 2020. Best. Timing. Ever.

Ya can't blame Aaron Sawitsky for saying, "Let's face it, 2020 has not been the best year" during the vows of his Marion, MA wedding. He and his bride, Denice, had already postponed their nuptials 3 times this year due to the pandemic.

Last weekend they decided to go for it with an outdoor ceremony, and of course ... there had to be a thunderstorm brewing in the area. So, what are the chances of lighting striking juuuuust as Aaron bemoaned their luck? 100%.

Luckily, the lighting strike came down across the lake behind them -- and no one was harmed -- in fact, it made for a seriously badass photo opportunity.

Aaron and Denice didn't take the bolt as a bad omen, and finished their vows. The ceremony ended without any fires, floods or hurricane winds.

A woman in Hawaii broke up a small beach wedding because of COVID-19 -- shaming the group for gathering and chasing them off, which begs the question ... too much, or right on?

Check out this video. The woman -- who appears to be a resident near Waimanalo Beach in O'ahu -- catches wind of a secret wedding ceremony going down nearby and busts in lock, stock and barrel ... shamelessly interrupting the proceedings.

She comes upon a group of maybe 7 people -- some of whom are young children -- who are bearing witness to an intimate ceremony between a couple ... with what looks to be a minister and a photog on hand as well. They're not even on or around the main area of the beach -- everyone is tucked back behind some shrubbery, sorta hidden from view.

That itself appears to be crossing the line for the woman, who reminds them the beaches in town are closed ... and what they're doing is illegal. But, it sure looks like they're on private property, and if not just inches beyond.

The woman goes so far as threatening to call cops as everyone makes their way back to the rental home.

There are 2 issues ... if the group is on private property, the lady is clearly in the wrong. If, on the other hand, they are on the public beach, well they shouldn't be ... but they're so close to private property waging war seems like an overreaction.

This is hysterical ... a wedding proposal on a boat goes horribly wrong because the would-be fiance's wingman has a TERRIBLE throwing arm!!!

We don't know their names or exactly where they were, but it doesn't matter. The ring, inside the ring box, goes in the drink and a guy -- presumably the thrower -- jumps in to retrieve it.

We don't know if he got the ring back, but you gotta say ... it's a memorable proposal. We're assuming she said yes, even sans bling.

And, this is funny ... an NFL meme page posted the video with the caption, "When you ask Mitch Trubisky to help you with your proposal ..."

This is heartbreaking ... a beautiful bride draped in a stunning white gown was in the middle of taking her wedding pics when Beirut was decimated by an atomic-like explosion, and it was all caught on video.

The 27-second video taken Tuesday starts with the camera zooming in on the happy bride, but within seconds the blissful moment turns into utter horror as 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate explodes ... obliterating Lebanon's capital and killing hundreds.

You can see in the video the videographer runs for cover as does the bride and the rest of the party. It doesn't appear any of them were seriously hurt. It's unclear how close this party was when the massive blast occurred, but its impact was still felt as it destroyed surrounding buildings.

As we reported ... Lebanon's prime minister, Hassan Diab, said the 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate had been sitting unsecured for 6 years in a port warehouse. Here's a little context ... the Oklahoma City bombers used 2 tons of ammonium nitrate in 1995 ... killing 168.

A love story more than 8 decades in the making reached a high point last week ... when Ivan O'Neil and Gerry Souhrada got married in Montana.

The couple, both 91, said their "I dos" in front of immediate family July 25 in Lakeside ... after more than a decade of dating. The nuptials were also live streamed on Facebook so loved ones all over could watch.

Ivan and Gerry met in first grade and grew to be friends during high school. They both went on to get married to other people, but continued to bump into each other over the years at various local events, and committee meetings to plan their class reunions.

As fate would have it ... they were both mourning the loss of their spouses -- Marian and Bob -- 13 years ago when they ran into each other at a breakfast diner.

We're told Ivan was there with his hiking group -- the "Over the Hill" gang -- and went over to say hello to Gerry. Later in the day, Gerry mentioned to her son ... if someone as nice as Ivan were to ask her out, she'd say yes.

Sure enough, that ol' son-of-a-gun Ivan did exactly that later that evening ... when he asked her to be his date to a banquet because it "wouldn't be any fun to go alone."

They've been together ever since, love to travel and have been all around the world. We're told Ivan actually asked Gerry to marry him early on in their dating years, but she wasn't ready after losing Bob. However, when he recently popped the question again ... she said yes.

All of that's interesting enough, but then there's this -- Ivan and Gerry signed a prenup! We're told Ivan wanted it to be short and simple, but it ended up being 30 pages ... much to his dismay.

The couple won't be going on a honeymoon right now due to the pandemic, but say when they do ... it'll include attending a University of Montana football game.

If Demi Lovato's engagement ring looked expensive, that's only because it's worth more than $2 million, and comes with some razzle-dazzle too ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with knowledge tell us ... Demi's ring would cost the average Joe off the street anywhere between $2.5 million and $5 million -- and that's due to the fact that it's a very special cut from a very well-regarded celebrity jeweler in Hollywood ... Peter Marco.

We're told Demi's diamond is an emerald cut that was hand set in platinum, and flanked on all sides by smaller (only relatively) trapezoid-shaped diamonds designs. All told, our sources say the rock comes in at well over 10 carats ... maybe even as much 20!!! No one's spilling the exact weight.

We're told Demi's fiance, Max Ehrich, spent a lot of time to make sure the design was unique -- namely, he really wanted the elongated stone for Demi. We're told he and Marco went back and forth with different side stones and angles until the ring was just right.

Their engagement came after just a few months of dating ... albeit quarantine-dating. Demi and Max first got together in March, and they've been quarantining/vacationing all over Cali since then.

After Max put a ring on it ... Demi said, "I knew I loved you the moment I met you," adding, "I’m ecstatic to start a family and life with you. I love you forever my baby. My partner. Here’s to our future!!!!"

Aaron Sorkin didn't write or direct "The Proposal" ... but he had his hand all over this proposal ... after helping an aspiring screenwriter propose to his GF.

Spoiler alert ... SHE SAID YES!!!

So, here's how it went down ... the famed writer/producer/director was a guest lecturer Thursday at L.A.'s American Film Institute Conservatory -- a prestigious institution once ranked the No. 1 film school in the world.

Before the Harold Lloyd Master Seminar kicked off, John Graney -- a student studying screenwriting at the Institute -- hit up his professor and asked if there would be any way to get Sorkin to help him propose to his GF, Leticia, who's also a student at the Institute and a HUGE Sorkin fan. Side note: who ISN'T a huge Sorkin fan? "A Few Good Men?!" "Moneyball?!?" "The West Wing."

Anywho ... Aaron was game. Sorkin prefaced the proposal by warning Leticia he's dead serious about what's about to go down. You nearly hear more than 150 students in class hold their collective breaths.

Some of John's buddies cheered for him before he pulled out the engagement ring. John and Leticia officially sealed the proposal with a kiss.

See, a few good men still exist.

Dog the Bounty Hunter feels blessed to have a new woman he wants to marry, and while shared grief brought them together ... they're working through the pain together.

ICYMI, the reality TV star recently got engaged to Francie Frane, who he tells us is a Colorado rancher who lost her husband to cancer around the time he lost his wife, Beth Chapman, to cancer as well.

It's no secret Dog's had a hard time getting over Beth's passing, but Thursday on "TMZ Live" he said he and Francie talk about Beth -- helping him grieve in a healthier way, and he consoles Francie too.

Just as importantly, he tells us his new wife-to-be helps him "man up" and do his job the way it needs to be done.

As an added bonus ... Dog's family is fully on board with his new relationship, which wasn't so much the case when he proposed to Moon Angell. He told us his super protective daughters love Francie.

Lily Allen seems like she's officially off the market ... because it looks like she's engaged to David Harbour, and she's got the rock to prove it.

Lily stoked engagement rumors once again Thursday, posting a sultry snap to her social media and bragging about her physique ... but a closer look reveals what appears to be an engagement ring, and yes it's on THAT finger.

One of Lily's 1.2 million eagle-eyed Instagram followers straight-up asked her in the comments if she's indeed wearing an engagement ring, and Lily's answer was telling ... she replied, "First rule of engagement club...."

So, there you have it, straight from the horse's mouth.

The Grammy-nominated singer and "Stranger Things" star are notoriously private about their relationship ... the couple only officially announced they were an item earlier this year after months of dating.

We reached out to reps for both Lily and David to confirm their engagement ... so far, no word back.

But, Lily's picture and comment kinda speak for themselves.

Dog the Bounty Hunter's ready to get married again ... to a different woman than the one he was ready to wed a few months ago.

Sources close to the reality TV star tell TMZ ... he's engaged to his new girlfriend, Francie Frane, and they are very happy and looking forward to a long life together.

We're told Dog's kids are supportive of the relationship ... which was not the case the last time around.

As you'll recall ... Dog quickly got involved with Moon Angell after the death of his wife, Beth Chapman, which led to some family turmoil when they began living together.

Dog shockingly proposed to Moon in bizarre fashion on "The Dr. Oz Show" in January, but it was chalked up to him just being overly emotional ... and never led to an engagement. Moon later moved out.

Dog and Francie apparently began dating after that, and he proposed to her recently at his Colorado home -- as was first reported by The Sun --and she said yes!

He's reportedly said he wants to have "the biggest wedding there's ever been" with Francie and open it up to all his fans.

We broke the story ... Dog's wife, Beth, died in June after a long battle with cancer.