David Njoku has never been married. That answer is shorter than most people expect, but the person they are actually looking for is Veronica Arthur-Mensah: his long-term partner, the mother of his daughter, and a registered nurse from Ghana building her own career entirely on her own terms.
Here is the full, verified picture.
Table of Contents
Is David Njoku Married?
| Marital Status | Not married |
| Partner | Veronica Arthur-Mensah |
| Daughter | Stella Ohema Njoku |
| Daughter’s Date of Birth | August 9, 2020 |
| Veronica’s Nationality | Ghanaian |
| Veronica’s Profession | Registered Nurse, Aesthetic Injector, Author |
| NFL Status (March 2026) | Free agent, unsigned |
No marriage record. No engagement announcement. No wedding ceremony. ESPN, Wikipedia, Sportskeeda, and the Cleveland Browns’ own official records all list Njoku as unmarried.
The word “wife” spread through search results because websites applied it carelessly, and repetition made it feel factual. It was not. Veronica Arthur-Mensah is his partner of several years. She has never been his spouse.
Who Is Veronica Arthur-Mensah?
Veronica Arthur-Mensah is Ghanaian, a registered nurse, the owner of an aesthetic nurse injector practice, and a published author. Her Instagram account @v.dayyy carries over 10,000 followers. Her bio reads:
“🇬🇭 All Glory to God. Not a regular mom. Author | Nurse 🩺 @iamsoican | @theeinjector_v”
Four lines. Four separate identities, none of which require an NFL relationship to stand on their own.
She entered public attention not through sports coverage but through a children’s book she co-authored with her daughter and through her own professional work. Her surname, Arthur-Mensah, is Ghanaian-Akan in origin. “Mensah” is one of the most common surnames in Ghana, rooted in Akan tradition, and that cultural thread runs directly into how she named her daughter.
There is no confirmed public record of when David Njoku and Veronica first got together. Their daughter Stella was born on August 9, 2020, which places the relationship at least a year before that. Njoku has never addressed the timeline in interviews, and Veronica has kept the same level of privacy about it. What the available record does show is that she was present through his burn accident recovery in 2023, his first Pro Bowl season that same year, and the eventual close of his nine-year run in Cleveland.
Stella Ohema Njoku: Their Daughter
Stella Ohema Njoku was born on August 9, 2020. She turned five in August 2025.
The middle name is not decorative. In the Akan language of Ghana, Ohema means queen or female chief. Given that Veronica is Ghanaian and David holds a formal chieftaincy title in Nigeria’s Igboland, the name reflects both sides of Stella’s heritage with clear intention.
There is also a second layer. David Njoku’s mother is named Stella Njoku. She and her husband Innocent immigrated to the United States from Nigeria before David was born. The daughter’s name carries the family matriarch’s name and a Ghanaian royal title in the same breath.
Njoku’s sister, Happiness Njoku, gave a rare public window into how father and daughter interact, writing on Instagram:
“I see the way you interact with Stella Bella and it is way too pure and too beautiful for my wittle heart to bear.”
By the time Stella was four years old, she had co-authored a published book and was handing out copies at her father’s NFL youth football camps in Cleveland.
The Children’s Book Stella Co-Wrote at Age Four
In 2025, Veronica Arthur-Mensah and four-year-old Stella Njoku co-wrote I Am So I Can, listed on Amazon with both credited as authors. The book focuses on self-love, positive affirmations, and building confidence in young children.
Stella described the vision in a News5Cleveland interview:
“We can be everything. We can be doctors. We can be music players, we can be firefighters, we can be an astronaut.”
Veronica spoke about what she wanted the book to communicate:
“I want her to be educated. I want her to feel like she can do anything that she wants to do. And I want kids to know that the thoughts they think and the words they say shape their whole lives, and that’s exactly what I put in this book.”
Both News5Cleveland and Cleveland19 (WOIO) covered the book. It was distributed at David Njoku’s youth football camps in the Cleveland area, where Stella participated alongside other children attending the events. Njoku promoted it across his own social media platforms throughout the summer of 2025.
“Chief” David Njoku: A Title That Is Literally Real
Most people know “Chief” as a nickname from Browns broadcasts. It is also a title formally bestowed.
In March 2022, Njoku traveled to Nigeria for a chieftaincy inauguration ceremony in Igboland, held before approximately 12,000 people. His father, Innocent Njoku, was a chief in Nigeria before the family immigrated to the United States. That title passed formally to David at the ceremony.
His Twitter/X account is registered under “Chief David Njoku.” His Facebook page states: “Chief Njoku of the Igbo tribe.”
Beyond the title, the Browns’ official records document that Njoku:
- Donates thousands of dollars annually to provide food, water, and essentials to communities in Nigeria
- Founded the David Njoku Foundation in 2020, built around food supply, guidance, and youth empowerment
- Stood as one of the most active Browns players in community work throughout his nine seasons
Understanding who Njoku is off the field, including his role as a partner and father, requires knowing that “Chief” is not just a brand.
The Burn Accident That Changed His Outlook
On September 29, 2023, Njoku suffered serious burns to his face, arms, and hands at his Cleveland home. He described it in a video released by the Browns:
“I have a bonfire every Friday. Just meditate a little bit, play a little music, relax. I was setting up my bonfire and I ran out of the normal lighter fluid that I use to soak the wood, so I used another one, and it was a spray instead of one you pour. I sprayed it down, waited a little bit, and I guess the spray was still in the air, because when I lit it up, it just exploded.”
He played two days later, on October 1, 2023, against the Baltimore Ravens, arriving at the stadium in a full mask. Teammate Amari Cooper said afterward:
“There are a lot of players who definitely would not have played with that happening to them less than 48 hours before the game, and for good reason.”
Njoku shared graphic photographs of his injuries publicly. His reason was specific:
“I’ve been getting a lot of messages from other burn victims and nurses that have burn victims, and they were telling me how everybody feels embarrassed to show whatever. So I wanted just to come out forth and show myself so everyone feels a little bit better about themselves. End of the day, things heal.”
He launched the “Withstand” merchandise line in October 2023, with T-shirts and hoodies priced from $32 to $56 on MILLIONS.co. Proceeds went to the American Burn Association (ABA). His treating physician, Dr. Joseph Khouri, MD at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, was personally named in Njoku’s public statement. During Week 13 of the 2023 season, he wore custom ABA-themed cleats as part of the NFL’s “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign.
The accident reshaped how he approached his role on the field. He finished the 2023 season with career highs in every major category: 81 receptions, 882 yards, and 6 touchdowns. That December, he earned his first Pro Bowl selection, becoming the first Browns tight end named to the game since Gary Barnidge in 2014. He connected the dots himself:
“As crazy as it sounds, throughout my whole career, it was mostly about stats and how many yards I can get. In the one year where I felt like the team was more important than me, is the year that I make it. Funny how life works.”
Where Things Stand in 2026
On February 9, 2026, Njoku announced he would not return to Cleveland. His farewell post read, in part:
“Cleveland, first off I love you. These 9 years have been a beautiful journey. The time for me to find a new home has come and all I can think of is just the gratefulness in my heart. The city of Cleveland will forever be home. #ChiefOut.”
Over nine seasons, he recorded 384 receptions, 4,062 receiving yards, and 34 touchdowns, finishing as the third-highest pass-catcher in Cleveland Browns history. His previous contract averaged $13.7 million per year. Spotrac currently estimates his next deal at approximately $9.99 million per year on a two-year contract.
As of March 17, 2026, he is unsigned. The Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, and Carolina Panthers have each been publicly linked to him in recent weeks.
At 29 and searching for his next home in the NFL, David Njoku carries more with him than what a stat line shows. His partner is a nurse, a business owner, and a published author who built those credentials independently. Their daughter holds a name meaning queen in Ghanaian tradition and carries the family matriarch’s name at the same time. He holds a chieftaincy title conferred before 12,000 people in Igboland, and a foundation that has been running in Nigeria since 2020. The question of who David Njoku’s wife is has a short answer. The story behind that answer is considerably longer.
