NFL’s Charvarius Ward Says He ‘Hasn’t Been Happy’ Since the Sudden Death of His 23-Month-Old Daughter

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward says he hasn’t been happy since the death of his 23-month-old daughter, Amani Joy.

“Happy heavenly birthday Amani 👼🏽,” he wrote via his Instagram Story on Monday, November 17. “Haven’t been happy since you left us. God was wrong for this 💔.”

“F*** football. F*** this money. F*** any type of fame,” he added on a subsequent slide. “Don’t care for none of it. Lost without my baby. Amani Joy Ward XOXOXO.”

The slide after that showed cupcakes with a “3” birthday candle in one of them, commemorating how old Amani would be today. Ward, 29, also shared a pair of photos of himself with Amani, smiling.

The cornerback announced Amani’s death in October 2024 while he was playing for the San Francisco 49ers.

“We are heartbroken that our beautiful baby girl, Amani Joy passed away on Monday morning. She was the best blessing we could have asked for, and her joyous spirit made us smile from ear to ear,” Ward wrote via Instagram. “She taught us to have patience, trust, and a positive outlook on life. She showed us true strength and bravery. She overcame adversity at a young age and was always happy, lighting up every room with her smile.”

He continued, “Having the privilege of being her parents and seeing the world through her eyes has changed us for the better. She will forever be daddy’s best friend and mommy’s little girl. We’ll miss you and love you forever, Amani Joy.”

Ward and his partner, Monique Cook, welcomed Amani in November 2022. Though they never announced an official cause of death, Amani battled heart issues throughout her life. Ward had been open about her health challenges, announcing when she underwent heart surgery and that she had been diagnosed with Down syndrome.

Despite her struggles, Ward called Amani “the happiest kid I’ve ever been around” in an Instagram post in March 2024, celebrating World Down Syndrome Day.

Ward, an eight-year NFL veteran, left the 49ers for the Colts in the offseason. Before he made his free agency decision, he admitted that the trauma he and Cook experienced could make him more likely to leave California.

“You know, I’ve got a lot of trauma in California,” Ward told reporters in January. “There were great times, but the worst thing that’s happened to me — that’s probably ever gonna happen to me, knock on wood — happened in California.”

“It just brings back bad memories,” Ward continued. “Every time I get on a plane to come back to California, San Jose, here, it’s just a bad memory. I go through that every night by myself because my girl doesn’t want to come back to California because of what happened.”

The trauma, he added, has had a physical effect on him.

“I get PTSD a lot,” Ward said. “I be throwing up, waking up in the middle of the night all the time, sweating and stuff like that. It’s tough, it’s tough. But, you know, we’ll see how it goes. It’s going to be interesting for sure.”