The Truth About Baker Mayfield's Wife

Even people who aren't Cleveland Browns fans probably recognize Emily Wilkinson; she and her husband, Baker Mayfield, the quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, have starred in a series of Progressive commercials. Before Wilkinson became Mrs. Mayfield, the Nebraska native was a plastic surgery patient coordinator in California, per Gossip Cop. In May 2018, TMZ reported that she ditched that job to move in with her then-boyfriend in Cleveland. Her new life in Cleveland included a career shift to working as a special correspondent for WKYC, a local TV station.

Wilkinson told Brides about the time Mayfield spotted her in the background while he was FaceTiming his brother in 2017. She recalled, "Baker's brother was scanning the crowd with his camera to show Baker who had gotten together to watch him play, and I was the one person in the crowd who he didn't recognize." Then he realized that she was the girl their friend "had been trying to set him up with" for months. She said it was "love at first sight" when they met, but she was actually very hesitant to meet him, despite the meet-cute encounter that brought them together. 

In July 2019, Mayfield admitted to ESPN that he kept following and unfollowing her on Instagram to get her attention. She recalled, "I was assuming he'd be the typical playboy athlete." Three days after they met, he moved in with Wilkinson and her brothers. They got engaged six months later, and they've been a power couple ever since. 

On the field, Baker Mayfield has the offensive line for protection. Off the field, Emily Wilkinson has it covered. In November 2019, the New York Post reported that Wilkinson slammed "fair weather" Browns fans in an Instagram Story. In a follow-up Instagram Story, Wilkinson said "I was not directing that at the die-hard, loyal fans who have stuck around for YEARS. I'm talking about the idiots who say HORRIBLE things about my husband and the team when we lose, and are back to obsessing when we win. That is laughable to me." A year later, she poked fun at ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, who tweeted, "There's no quarterback who has done LESS with MORE than @BakerMayfield. I still respect him, but he's got to do more if the @Browns are going anywhere." Two days after, she quoted Smith's tweet and added, "This aged well...."

In January 2021, the New York Post reported that Pittsburgh Steelers player JuJu Smith-Schuster said the Browns were full of "nameless gray faces." When the Browns beat the Steelers, Wilkinson posted "What'd you say @juju?" in her Instagram Story. That same month she came out swinging against radio host Colin Cowherd, according to Heavy. Cowherd said Mayfield wearing a backwards hat "just says playoff loss." Then, he tweeted, "Wishing @bakermayfield the best of luck in his first playoff game," which annoyed Wilkinson who told him, "You're a touch late. #bandwagon."

While Emily Wilkinson doesn't mince words in response to Baker Mayfield's critics, she wasn't as direct when a woman named Kacie Dingess accused him of cheating on Wilkinson in August 2019, just a month after their wedding. Dingess shared her story on the radio show Rover's Morning Glory, per Us Weekly. She claimed that they started messaging each other on social media before they met up in person in a Cheesecake Factory parking lot, where she alleges she gave him oral sex. Dingess provided "evidence" for her claims when she showed the radio hosts naked photos that the Cleveland Browns quarterback allegedly sent her before he blocked her on Twitter.

After Dingess made her claims, The Blast reported that Wilkinson posted a "cryptic clap back" In an Instagram Story. She didn't explicitly address the cheating allegations against her husband, but she did boast about "living a happy life' and 'living without regrets." She also shared a post on Instagram where she posed with her husband along with the caption, "Even if people don't want you to be, you're always perfect in my eyes." It sounds like it'll take more than cheating allegations to rock Wilkinson. 

Emily Wilkinson and Baker Mayfield have prioritized giving back to the Cleveland community since they've moved there. In January 2021, Wilkinson heard about a Cleveland Browns fan named Tom Seipel who had cancer (via People). The "Dawgs of War" podcast hosts started a GoFundMe to raise money for Seipel and his dad to go to a game. When Wilkinson saw this, she had her husband make a video for him and she got him 10 seats in her suite at FirstEnergy Stadium. 

In November 2019, the couple gave out turkey dinners to Cleveland families, per News 5 Cleveland. At the start of the coronavirus lockdown in March 2020, they also donated to a food bank in Cleveland and they encouraged others who were able to do the same (via Fox8). In December 2020, they donated and collected gifts for kids in Northeast Ohio, per First Coast News. Wilkinson took to Instagram that same month to help raise money for children aging out of the foster care system. 

Time and again, the Mayfields have proven themselves to be a very loyal and generous couple. As long as the Browns are playing, we can count on Wilkinson to be a fan. 

Emily Wilkinson and Baker Mayfield have big hearts, especially regarding children. This past December, Wilkinson and Mayfield continued their tradition of helping low-income children and their families make their holiday dreams come true. Their "Passing the Joy" event took place at the Boys and Girls Club of Tampa Bay in 2023, according to the Buccaneers website. Mayfield revealed why the event is important to them as a couple in an interview with the outlet. "I am truly living out a dream playing football as a job and just a platform that we have been blessed with and the position we are in right now to give back and influence America's youth," said Mayfield. "That is the most important part — to be able to spread the joy and to come out to an event like this is awesome for us."

A few months earlier, Wilkinson and Mayfield officially launched the Baker and Emily Mayfield Foundation, which aims to help people enrich themselves through scholarship opportunities. Their first big event, "BE the Ball," centered on raising funds to improve childhood literacy in Tampa Bay, Florida, according to the organization's website. "Here, specifically in Hillsborough County, it's one of the biggest school districts in the U.S," Emily told the Tampa Bay Times. "So there's a massive, massive need for it, to level the playing field in terms of getting pre-K kids literacy ready," she added. Fortunately, the event was a success, as they exceeded $100,000 in donations, per WFLA.

Emily Wilkinson and Baker Mayfield will soon be parents. The happy couple posted their surprise pregnancy announcement during the start of the 2023 Christmas season. "We've been hiding a little something........But we are THRILLED to share that baby girl Mayfield will be joining our crazy crew in early April 2024!" Wilkinson posted alongside an Instagram slideshow of a beach photoshoot, which included her showing off their sonogram. By the way, their crew consists of Wilkinson, Mayfield, and their beloved dog, who donned an adorable black-and-white handkerchief which read, "Big Brother Fergus."

While the couple's public announcement went off without a hitch, Wilkinson used similar props to deliver the news to Mayfield at home, but it took a moment for him to make the connection, according to his interview with ESPN. Mayfield sent his wife a photo of a dog while traveling, only to return home and find their dog wearing a "Big Brother" t-shirt. Mayfield assumed Wilkinson was surprising him with a puppy — not a baby. "So I started looking around for a puppy, not seeing the ultrasound and the positive pregnancy test right in front of me," said Mayfield. "So yeah, I was in the doghouse for a little bit on that one. But it was just complete shock, but so blessed. Obviously it's much more to life than just football." He continued, "So it's one of those things that we're extremely happy about."