Health Department Confirms Birth Of Manning Twins

Indianapolis' biggest celebrity is obviously Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning. So when Internet rumors surfaced earlier this month that he and his wife were the proud parents of twins born last month, some speculated it was an April Fool's joke. Just three days ago, the Star's Cathy Kightlinger was rebuffed by Ashley when she attempted to confirm the birth of the twins. As she reported then:

Several Internet sites Friday reported that Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and his wife, Ashley, are the parents of twins Marshall Williams Manning and Mosley Thompson Manning, born March 31 in Indianapolis.


Ashley Manning would not confirm reports of the births of the baby boy and girl.

"We value our privacy and would appreciate you not putting this in the paper or online," she wrote Friday in an email message to The Indianapolis Star.

The Neshoba Democrat, the (Philadelphia, Miss.) hometown newspaper of the four-time NFL MVP's mother, Olivia, first reported the news Wednesday on its website. On Friday, managing editor Debbie Myers told The Star that news of the twins, which appeared in the column "Just Among Friends" by reporter Rachel Evans, came from a Manning family member.

This evening, an online Star story confirms the twins' birth not from the Mannings but rather a spokesman for the Marion County Health Department. The story reads:

Peyton and Ashley Manning are the parents of two-week-old twins, the Marion County Health Department confirmed today.


Birth certificates are on file for Marshall Williams Manning and Mosley Thompson Manning, born March 31 in Marion County, said John Althardt, department spokesman.

The certificates list Peyton W. and Louisa Ashley as the parents.

Indiana law requires the above information to be public, but it does not require state officials to release any additional information, including the hospital where the babies were born, Althardt said.

The Star notes that Peyton's younger brother Eli and his wife, Abby, announced the birth of their daughter, Ava, on March 21. News of their expected arrival first surfaced on a Hollywood gossip site last October and had long been anticipated. Folks in Indianapolis and elsewhere seemed to be in the dark about the impending arrival of Peyton's twins. Very strange. Maybe we should put Donald Trump's investigators on the case.