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Shelley Meyer, the wife of Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, has been implicated the Zach Smith domestic abuse allegations in a bombshell report by Brett McMurphy. In a Facebook post that was published on August 1, McMurphy says that Urban Meyer knew about the allegations against Zach Smith. The allegations came from Smith’s wife, Courtney. McMurphy’s report includes graphic images of the alleged abuse suffered by Courtney Smith. Shelley and Urban have three children together, Nicole, Gisela and Nathan. They live in Dublin, Ohio together.
On her Twitter bio, Shelley lists her “favorites” as, “Faith, Family Football (learned it from Timmy Tebow) and my other favorites are spinning, laughing, and twitter.” That bio shows that Shelley’s birthday is on Christmas Day.
As noted in McMurphy’s report, Shelley works as a registered nurse and as an instructor of Clinical Practice at the Ohio State University College of Nursing. Due to the nature of employment, she is bound by Title IX rules.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Shelley Exhibits Extreme Concern for Courtney Smith’s Well Being in the Reported Text Messages Between the Pair
Twitter/Shelley Meyer
In one message that that appears as a screenshot in McMurphy’s report, Shelley apparently says, “Hi courtney-I think about you very often-how are u and the kids? I am so sick that you have to suffer with this crap so young.” Courtney responds, “Hey! We are doing well…hanging in there! It’s not your fault. I should have left a long time ago. Leaving was the best thing for me and the kids ya know? Just want the divorce final I so I’m not walking on egg shells anymore.” Shelley replies, “I am with you! A lot of women stay hoping it will get better. I don’t blame you! But just want u to be safe. Do u have restraining order? He scares me.”
When Courtney alleges that Zach Smith tried to pay her off, Shelley says, “Oh dang. Ok. Please please don’t give up. The job isn’t worth it. Your safety and your kids’ health is everything. Please let me help if I can. Even if u need groceries!! I don’t want to compromise investigation in any way but Geesh! You’re my friend! I hope you get what u need from him to take care of you and kids.” Courtney complains about the legal system being difficult to navigate in Ohio with Shelley saying it was hard to believe that she couldn’t get a restraining order considering the photo evidence.
Two days after the McMurphy report emerged, Urban Meyer released a statement via his Twitter page:
2. Shelley Was Forced to Apologize for a Tweet About Colin Kaepernick in 2017
Urban Meyer’s wife, Shelley, had some thoughts on Colin Kaepernick.
One Twitter user clapped back hard. 👀👀👀
In October 2017, Shelley Meyer apologized for a tweet about Colin Kaepernick. In response to an article about Kaepernick filing a grievance with the NFL over alleged collusion between NFL owners. Shelley Meyer responded by saying, “What-ever. He made his choices.” When someone responded saying, “I would take Tim Tebow over him any day.” Shelley responded, “A million times. No comparison at all!!” In her apology, Shelley made no reference to Kaepernick saying, “Dear twitter-I apologize for an earlier tweet that has had content injected by others that that has nothing to do w my tweet referring to behavior/choice by any human, owning those choices, and the possible consequences that may follow. The end.”
3. In 1983, Shelley Was the Ross County Fair Queen
Shelley told Eleven Warriors in August 2013 that she was crowned the Ross County Fair Queen. Shelley says she is the oldest of five children, grew up and worked on a farm in Lattaville, Ohio. Among her chores on the farm were tending to the livestock, bailing hay and picking peas and green beans. From there, Shelley went to the University of Cincinnati where she majored in nursing. From Ohio, Shelley then attended the University of Colorado where she attained a Master’s in psychiatric nursing.
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According to Columbus’s City Scene Magazine, Meyer teaches spin two days a week at the Premier at Sawmill Athletic Club. Shelley, who became a certified spin class instructor in 1999, says she works as hard as her students in class, “I get a little upset when I see an instructor not working out. I feel like I can coach people in their workout while I’m also working out hard with them.”
4. Shelley Had a Boyfriend When She First Met Urban in a Frat House in 1984
The couple met when they were both students at the University of Cincinnati at a Sigma Chi frat philanthropy event, according to the Alligator. Shelley told the website that she rebuffed Meyer’s initial approach, “I had a boyfriend back home,” she says. The article says it took three weeks of asking before the pair finally went on a date, in May 1984. The couple would be married in 1986. Shelley is quoted as saying, “Before I met Urban I didn’t pay attention (to football) at all.” Nowadays, Shelley attends every game home-and-away. When asked about what it was like when her husband loses, Shelley said, “I don’t even know how to describe it. Urban is so sad. He tosses and turns all night. You see it (his mood) lift a little each day. It takes until Wednesday to get him talking right again.”
5. Courtney Smith Says, ‘I Know Shelley Did Everything She Could’
McMurphy says that Courtney Smith told him, “Shelley said she was going to have to tell Urban. I said, “That’s fine, you should tell Urban.” I know Shelley did everything she could… All the (coaches’) wives knew. They all did. Every single one.”
A week previously, Meyer said that he didn’t know about the allegations, including two from 2015 that were investigated by police in Powell, Ohio. The famed coach said at a media event, McMurphy’s report, “I was never told about anything. Never anything came to light, never had a conversation about it. So I know nothing about it. I asked people back at the office to call and see what happened, and they came back and said they know nothing.” Though Meyer has acknowledged that he was aware that Smith had been accused of shoving his pregnant wife in Florida in 2009. Smith never faced formal charges in the case, according to Cleveland.com. At the time, Smith was working with Meyer at the University of Florida. Smith is now prohibited from going within 500 yards of his estranged wife for five years.
McMurphy had reported on July 23 that Smith had been fired from his position after a charge of misdemeanor criminal trespassing came to light. In that report, Courtney Smith is quoted as saying, “Zach once told me if he ever got fired and this all comes out: ‘I’ll take everyone at Ohio State down with me.'”
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Shelley Meyer, Urban’s Wife: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know