Mormon New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson refused to address his ex-girlfriend’s sensational claim that he slept with his mother’s best friend as he was grilled about the scandal during a press conference at the team’s first training camp practice on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old expertly dodged a journalist’s query about his former partner Abbey Gile’s allegation that their relationship ended after he had an affair with his mother’s friend, insisting that he was only prepared to speak about football during the conference – while adding: ‘It is what it is.’
When asked how he was doing after ‘all the social media stuff that he’s had to deal with’, Wilson responded: ‘Right, it’s just focusing on football and that’s really all I can do. It is what it is. I’m excited to be here with the boys… I’m excited to just try and get better every single day. That’s all I’ve been focusing on.’
The press conference marks the first time that Wilson has publicly addressed the shocking accusation about his romantic entanglement with his mom Lisa’s friend – and comes just over two weeks after his ex Gile publicly aired the claims on social media, while hitting back at critics who branded her a ‘homie hopper’ for allegedly moving on from the Jets player with his ex-college roommate.
Gile and Wilson split in January and she has reportedly since started dating the NFL star’s roommate from college – Washington Commanders’ wide receiver Dax Milne.
The argument kicked off when Milne posted a picture on his social media of the new couple with the caption: ‘Word on the Street.’
New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, 22, refused to answer questions about his ex-girlfriend Abbey Gile’s claim that he slept with his mother’s best friend while they were still dating as he attended a press conference on Wednesday
Earlier this month, Wilson’s former partner Abbey Gile (pictured together) alleged that their relationship ended when he had an affair with his mother Lisa’s friend
The football star (pictured with his mother Lisa) was publicly grilled about the scandal for the first time on Wednesday, while taking part in a press conference to mark the Jets’ first practice of training camp
One person commented accusing Gile of being a ‘homie hopper,’ which is when someone breaks up with one person and immediately dates their best friend.
But she fired back saying: ‘[Wilson] was sleeping with his mom’s best friend… that’s the real homie hopper.’
Another person wrote in the comments: ‘Lol, it’s true. I know the best friend’s mom and she freaked out about it for a while.’
Wilson attended the Mormon Church sponsored Brigham Young University where he played for their football team, the Cougars. In a 2021 interview, he told Deseret News ‘I consider myself a really spiritual person,’ and ‘I feel like I have always had a good relationship with God in my life.’ He also said his time at BYU ‘helped me strengthen my relationship with God.’
Gile is currently a student at Utah Valley University in Orem, where she is a member of the school’s dance troupe. Though not an LDS sponsored school, the university offers an extensive Mormon studies curriculum and boasts ‘the largest LDS Institute program in the world,’ according to its website.
Meanwhile Jets assistant equipment manager Joe McMahon slammed Milne saying: ‘Idk what’s going to be the bigger joke this relationship or your NFL career.’
Wilson refused to comment on the claims, telling a journalist who asked him about ‘the social media stuff he’s had to deal with’: ‘It’s just focusing on football and that’s really all I can do… it is what it is’
Wilson and Gile – who attends Utah Valley University – are understood to have been an item since high school, however they split in January, and she is now reportedly dating his ex-college roommate, Washington Commanders star Dax Milne
Gile made the sensational claim about her ex-boyfriend in an Instagram comment that she posted in response to a user who branded her a ‘homie hopper’ after her relationship with Milne was made public
The exact reasons for Wilson and Gile’s split in January was not made public by either party. The pair did scrub each other from their respective social media accounts.
Since then, Gile appears to have removed her Instagram account. According to a 2021 New York Post feature, she and Wilson were an item since high school.
The Post quotes Gile as saying about Wilson following his 20th birthday: ‘He’s the most selfless, kind, hardworking person I know. I’m the luckiest girl in the world and I have no idea what I did to deserve him.’
Wilson’s current girlfriend is influencer Nicollette Dellanno who boasts over 250,000 followers on TikTok
Dax Milne (left) is now dating Giles. Milne and Zach Wilson were best friend and roommates during their time together at Brigham Young University in Utah
This photo seemingly announced Abbey Gile’s new relationship with Washington Commanders wide receiver Dax Milne
Dax Milne (left) and Zach Wilson (center right) playing football together at Brigham Young University. The pair were roommates in college
This isn’t the first time that Wilson’s mother Lisa Neeleman Wilson has made her way into headlines.
In the past few years, she has posted on rants Instagram against mask mandates, promoted Hydroxychloroquine as a Covid-19 cure and supported ex-President Donald Trump.
Neeleman said in one video in May 2021: ‘Snapchat is for w****s.’ On the platform, she follows popular MAGA celebrities such as Candace Owens and Madison Cawthorn.
In July 2021, she was forced to deny rumors that she had an OnlyFans account saying: ‘I don’t have an OnlyFans account and I have no idea what it is. So if my name is one one it’s fake. Some people need to get a life.’
Wilson grew up in Draper, Utah, as one of his parents six children. His father, Mike, played college ball for the University of Utah in the 1990s.
In the Deseret News feature, Wilson said that his level-headedness and business sense came from his family, including his mother’s brother, David Neeleman, the founder of JetBlue.
Zach Wilson and his mother, Lisa Neeleman Wilson. Both are members members of the Church of Latter-day Saints, also known as Mormonism
Wilson’s mother Lisa Neeleman Wilson has made into the news before, such as in July 2021 when she denied having an OnlyFans page
On the day of the allegations about her son, Neeleman posted a lengthy video in which she talked about how important it was to keep children away from social media
In the same article, Lisa Neeleman Wilson told the newspaper that her son is a ‘home kid.’ She said that her son loved to spend as much time at home as possible.
Neeleman is described in the article as a personal trainer with a burgeoning clothing line in the works.
On the day of the allegations about her son, Neeleman posted a lengthy video in which she talked about how important it was to keep children away from social media.
She said in the clip: ‘Satan has found a way to come right into your home and steal your child, without you even noticing. The worst part? You let in and you even paid him to do it.’
In June, Wilson was spotted with TikTok influencer Nicollette Dellanno watching the Yankees play the Tampa Bay Rays in The Bronx.
Dellanno boasts more than 250,000 followers on TikTok. The rumors about Wilson and Dellanno began when they were pictured on Sophia Culpo’s Instagram page.
Culpo is in a relationship with Wilson’s teammate Braxton Berrios.
Wilson suffered through a poor debut season for the Jets with just three wins in 13 appearances, throwing for only nine touchdowns in the process
In June, Wilson told the New York Post: ‘I really do have a lot of confidence in myself. Obviously I think I can be one of the best, and I think if anybody doesn’t say that then they’re not a true competitor’
Wilson suffered through a poor debut season for the Jets with just three wins in 13 appearances, throwing for only nine touchdowns in the process. His contract is worth $35 million per year.
In June, Wilson told the New York Post: ‘I really do have a lot of confidence in myself. Obviously I think I can be one of the best, and I think if anybody doesn’t say that then they’re not a true competitor.’
In their reporting on Wilson’s alleged philandering, Outkick wrote: ‘And just like that the legend of ‘Broadway Zach’ is born,’ a reference to the Jets most famous philanderer ‘Broadway Joe’ Namath.
At the time of writing, there has been no comment from Wilson on the allegation.