Former Cubs MVP Ben Zobrist has revealed intimate details of what he said led to the end of his marriage to wife, Julianna Zobrist, a Christian pop singer, and her affair with their pastor.
The retired Chicago star shared the “genesis” of trouble in his marriage came about after she reportedly threw a retirement party at their farm that cost $30,000 for the couple’s pastor, Byron Yawn, in December 2018, the Chicago Tribune reported. The comments were noted by Fox News in a piece published Tuesday. (RELATED: Report: Former Cubs MVP Ben Zobrist Claims In Million Dollars Lawsuit Christian Pop Singer Wife Had Affair With Their Pastor)
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“Mrs. [Julianna] Zobrist paid for the party out of the ‘farm account’ that her husband typically did not review, apparently to keep the cost of the party unknown to him,” the documents read, per the outlet. (RELATED: Chicago Cubs Win The World Series)
“Mrs. Zobrist and Pastor Yawn both became intoxicated and are dancing ‘on’ each other in a provocative way that was very embarrassing to Ben Zobrist, especially in front of their close church friends,” the filing added.
After the party was over, Zobrist’s wife reportedly “took umbrage at her husband’s rebuking her privately” for “acting in this manner in public,” the document continued. “However, unknown to husband, wife was already ‘in love’ with Pastor Yawn.”
“Wife reached out to her pastor, Byron Yawn, and found solace in his support,” Julianna’s filing read, per the outlet. “The parties had a friendship with Mr. Yawn and his family. Wife’s friendship and connection with Mr. Yawn grew over a period of time and changed into a romantic relationship.”
“In March of 2019, wife had an affair with Mr. Yawn and admitted this relationship to husband in May of 2019,” the filing added. “Although she did not admit the adultery until later.”
Julianna reportedly told her husband the affair was over. But documents obtained by the outlet claim she allegedly bought a “burner phone” in June 2019 in order to talk to Yawn.
The singer said after she got the new phone it allowed her to get “rid of her phone that contained the nude photos and text messages that she had sent” to the Tennessee pastor, the outlet noted.
The Cubs star first filed for legal separation from Julianna in May 2019 after he alleged she had engaged in “inappropriate marital conduct” during their marriage. She filed for divorce in Illinois at the same time he had filed for separation, according to the Chicago-Sun Times.
Zobrist then took a leave of absence from baseball to deal with his marriage situation and would end up rejoining the team in September 2019. He retired at the end of the 2019 season.