A-Rod's wife alleges infidelity
MIAMI (AP) - July 7, 2008 "The marriage of the parties is irretrievably broken because of
the husband's extramarital affairs and other marital misconduct,"
according to Cynthia Rodriguez's petition for dissolution of
marriage, filed Monday in the family division of Miami-Dade County
Circuit Court.
The New York Yankees third baseman, who earned his 12th All-Star
selection Sunday, has refused to comment on his relationship with
the pop singer Madonna, who denied any romantic involvement with
the slugger in a statement posted Sunday on people.com.
"The petitioner has exhausted every effort to salvage the
marriage of the parties," Cynthia Rodriguez said in the filing.
"However, Alex has emotionally abandoned his wife and children and
has left her with no choice but to divorce him."
The couple, who married in November 2002, have a $12 million,
six-bedroom house in the upscale Miami suburb of Coral Gables. A
company run by a corporation controlled by Rodriguez bought an
apartment at Trump Park Avenue in Manhattan for $7.4 million in
July 2005.
Cynthia Rodriguez has asked for primary custody of their two
children, as well as child support and alimony.
Their two daughters are Natasha Alexander, 3, and 2-month-old
Ella Alexander.
The filing comes just days after the third baseman was linked to
Madonna in various media outlets. Cynthia Rodriguez later visited
the Paris home of rocker Lenny Kravitz, who said she came to France
to escape the media frenzy in New York and denied anything
improper.
Cynthia Rodriguez's lawyer, Maurice Kutner, declined to
elaborate on the filing, which does not mention Madonna or any
other alleged paramours by name.
"Cynthia has made it very clear to me that she wants to take
the high road and protect her children and herself. There's no
vindictiveness here," Kutner said. "She wants to resolve the
issues between Alex and herself in an amicable fashion."
The divorce petition was filed the day after Rodriguez hit his
536th homer, tying Yankees Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle for 13th.
Rodriguez is in the first season of a $275 million, 10-year
contract with the Yankees, a deal that allows him to earn up to
$305 million. He made $185.45 million from 2001-7 from his contract
with the Texas Rangers and Yankees.