Lawsuit: MLB star Ben Zobrist says wife had affair with pastor, sues him for millions
CLEVELAND, OH – NOVEMBER 02: 2016 World Series MVP Ben Zobrist #18 of the Chicago Cubs celebrates with his wife Julianna Zobrist after defeating the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in Game Seven of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field on November 2, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cubs win their first World Series in 108 years. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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CHICAGO (WGN) — Former Major League Baseball star Ben Zobrist claims his wife was having an affair with their pastor, according to court documents.
According the Peoria Journal Star, the 40-year-old former World Series MVP made those accusations in a lawsuit filed in a Tennessee circuit court in May.
Zobrist also accused the pastor, identified as Bryon Yawn, of defrauding his charity foundation. He is seeking $6 million in damages from Yawn, the CEO of a Nashville-area business-consulting firm, according to the newspaper.
Yawn is a former pastor at Community Bible Church in Nashville, where the Zobrists began attending church in 2005.
Zobrist and Julianna were married in 2005 and have three children.
Ben Zobrist paused his 2019 season with the Cubs for about four months as he and 36-year-old Julianna Zobrist, a contemporary-Christian singer, addressed their marital problems.
The lawsuit states that Yawn used his relationship with Ben to “assume a leadership position with Plaintiff’s charity, Patriot Forward, to his own personal benefit.”
Yawn began charging hourly rates then proposed a yearly salary of $36,000, according to the lawsuit. It states that he allegedly used the position to get close to Julianna Zobrist as they worked on the charity’s social media presence.
The lawsuit stated Yawn and Zobrist’s sexual relationship began in 2019 and lasted for about a year, during which the pair used “burner” cellphones to communicate. Yawn’s wife first discovered Yawn and Zobrist’s communication on one of the phones, according to the court document.
Ben Zobrist is suing for compensatory and punitive damages in response to missing part of the 2019 baseball season.