Emily Maynard didn’t find her happily ever after on The Bachelorette, but she ended up finding her real-life Prince Charming a short while later. Maynard is married to Tyler Johnson, whom she met years before trying out the whole reality television dating thing.
Johnson works for Hendrick Automotive Group. He and Maynard have three sons (and Johnson is a stepdad to Maynard’s daughter, Ricki) and live in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. He Met Maynard at Church
Johnson and Maynard met years ago at church. They both attended church services but had no idea that they’d end up together. In fact, Maynard went on The Bachelor and then The Bachelorette to try to find herself a husband; she had no idea that she’d already met “the one.”
“I met him at church before I did The Bachelorette, he really wanted nothing to do with me. I told my girlfriend I met this guy and he could like not be less attracted to me, he was in the friends’ zone,” Maynard previously said on Good Morning America.
Johnson and Maynard were acquaintances at best, but she sort of had a thing for him — even if she couldn’t muster up the courage to tell him.
“I used to teach a jewelry making class at a middle school that my church adopted and Tyler was one of the coordinators of the program. Well, every Thursday I could count on him to come help me carry all of my beads out to my car at the end of class. The only problem was he was so good looking that I could barely make eye contact with him, much less have a normal conversation,” Maynard shared on her blog following the couple’s engagement.
“Fast forward a few years (and a few attempts to find love on TV) to our first date and we’ve been inseparable ever since! I’m so grateful to God for bringing him into our life because he’s been the biggest blessing to Ricki and I both,” Maynard added.
And the rest was pretty much history.
2. He Married Maynard in 2014 & Has 3 Sons With Her
In June 2014, Johnson and Maynard exchanged vows. The couple had a surprise wedding, not telling any of their 200 guests what was going on. Friends and family were invited to an engagement party at Tyler’s parents’ farm on June 7, but Johnson and Maynard had other plans. The two tied the knot right then and there.
“[Maynard] wore a beautiful strapless pink tulle Modern Trousseau ball gown with a dark pink sash — paired with cowboy boots! — and carried a bouquet of white peonies. Her eight-year-old daughter Ricki served as her maid of honor, and guests enjoyed a live country band and lots of tasty Southern fare, including fried chicken and pulled pork,” The Knot reported at the time.
Johnson and Maynard swayed to “Marry Me,” by Zachary Kale for their first dance.
You can see photos from the couple’s wedding here.
Not long after they tied the knot, Johnson and Maynard found out that they were expecting. Their son Jennings was born in 2015. A few months after giving birth, Maynard got pregnant again. Their second baby boy, Gibson, was born the following year. Maynard got pregnant again — almost straight away — and the couple welcomed their third son, Gatlin, in 2017.
The Johnsons have a very busy household in North Carolina.
3. He Is a General Manager at Hendrick Automotive Group in Charlotte, North Carolina
Johnson works as the general manager of Hendrick Automotive Group, a job he’s held since 2016. He joined the company in 2014, working as the retail operations manager and the general sales manager at Hendrick Lexus, according to his LinkedIn page.
In the five years prior to joining Hendrick Automotive, Johnson served as the district manager and automotive retail specialist for Automotive Development Group located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Below is a job description for the district manager position.
“Provided management consulting services for Automotive dealers. Partnered with various automotive franchises and developed their teams for increased results. Specialization included providing investment vehicles for automotive organizations in specialized Reinsurance Companies and developing their variable operations for increased results.”
In 2008, Johnson was an account executive for WCCB — a gig he only had for about 10 months.
4. He Attended Wingate University on an Athletic & Academic Scholarship
Johnson attended Wingate University in Charlotte. According to his LinkedIn page, he went to the school on both an academic and athletic (football) scholarship.
“Attended Wingate on a full athletic and academic scholarship. Finished with my B.S. in Business and Captain of my football team, All-Conference honors, and numerous other athletic and academic honors,” reads his LinkedIn.
Wingate University boasts small class sizes, dorms, and a strong health-science program.
“Wingate University is a comprehensive, independent and growing university that blends in-class learning with out-of-class application to deliver a life-changing educational experience. Founded in 1896 — the original campus is located in Wingate, North Carolina, and two additional campuses are located in the Ballantyne neighborhood of Charlotte and in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The university serves more than 3,600 students, including undergraduate and graduate students,” reads the school’s website.
5. He Is a Stepdad to Ricki, Maynard’s Daughter From a Previous Relationship
Over the past few years, Johnson has grown close to Maynard’s daughter, Ricki. Maynard gave birth to Ricki after her then-fiance, Ricky Hendrick, died in a plane crash. Maynard found out that she was pregnant after Hendrick was killed.
Maynard helped facilitate a relationship between Johnson and her daughter and Johnson did his absolute best to make Ricki feel loved — and he’s done a great job.
“This is my precious daughter! She turns 12 today!! I love you more than you will ever be able to understand,” Johnson captioned an Instagram photo of him and Ricki back in 2017.
When thinking about proposing to Maynard, Johnson was very mindful of the impact this new family dynamic would have on Ricki — so, he proposed to her, too!
“We got through Christmas and New Year’s and had the girls back home. It wasn’t long after that I went over one morning, woke the girls up, told them I was gonna cook ’em breakfast and kind of put ’em back to sleep. Then I brought ’em downstairs and proposed to her and Ricki. It was really special, really simple and a lot of fun,” Johnson previously told E! News.
After the engagement, Maynard was sure to include Ricki every step of the way.
“I keep telling Ricki it’s just as much her wedding as it is mine. It’s been fun to see her get excited about it,” Maynard previously told People Magazine.