Ex-Chicago Cubs Player Ben Zobrist Files Lawsuit: Alleges Pastor had an Affair with HIs Wife
Former Chicago Cubs player Ben Zobrist filed a lawsuit against Pastor Byron Yawn, as he accused his former minister to have a sexual relationship with his ex-wife. Zobrist sought punitive and compensatory damages amounting to $6 million through a jury trial, according to the Chicago Tribune report.
Yahoo! Sports reported that the former Chicago Cubs player filed the lawsuit in Nashville Circuit Court, the city where his former minister is a CEO of a counseling firm. The court documents noted that the incident happened while Yawn was Zobrist's marital counselor.
Ben Zobrist Files Lawsuit Vs. Pastor
The incident stemmed out when the former Chicago Cubs player and his wife, Julianna, attended the Community Bible Church. Pastor Yawn soon acted as the pre-marital counselor of the former couple. Furthermore, Zobrist also sought Yawn's counsel when the ex-Chicago Cubs player experienced anxiety and depression in 2016.
However, in 2018, the pastor began to have a regular conversation with the baseball player's wife, then secretly "pursue an intimate relationship" with Julianna. NBC Chicago noted that Yawn began meeting Zobrist's wife for sex in 2019. The lawsuit furthered that the pastor and the baseball player's wife used "burner phone" to hide their relationship.
In 2019, the lawsuit mentioned that Yawn's wife discovered the pastor's burner phone. The next day, Yawn's wife notified the former Chicago Cubs player about the affair their partners had.
Yahoo! Sports noted that the baseball player's wife admitted to the affair she had with the pastor. Julianna and Ben Zobrist filed for divorce in 2019.
Despite Zobrist's wife admitting to the affair, Yawn's attorney still demanded the truth.
"My client deserves his day in court and for the truth to be heard, and so we're going to do that through the court process," said Yawn's lawyer, Christopher Bellamy. Bellamy noted that he cannot give further information because they are in the middle of the litigation.
Pastor Accused of Defrauding Charity
Apart from being accused of having a sexual relationship with Zobrist's wife, the former Chicago Cubs also accused yawn of defrauding the baseball player's charity.
Yawn was reported to earn $36,000 annually while working for Ben Zobrist's charity. The baseball player was also reported to pay about $10,000 a month to the pastor's church. Yahoo! Sports noted that Zobrist also once paid between $10,000-$15,000 to fund a pastoral trip for "Yawn's family."
Yawn was terminated for his role in the Charity in March 2019. However, the lawsuit claimed that the pastor continued to receive salary checks amounting to $3,500 per month, until May 2019. The lawsuit alleged that Yawn received the money "fraudulently."
The charity that Yawn worked for was Ben Zobrist's charity intended for athletes. Yawn allegedly performed various roles in the said organization, which was founded by the former Chicago Cubs player to promote athlete's mental health.
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