ESPN has fired longtime MLB reporter and on-air personality Marly Rivera for her use of a disparaging remark during an argument with a female journalist.
According to the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand, Rivera called Ivón Gaete a “f**king cunt” while they engaged in a quarrel before a scheduled interview with Aaron Judge at Yankee Stadium last Tuesday. Rivera claimed she had set aside time to speak to the New York Yankees star exclusively and lost her cool when Gaete refused to consider the exclusivity.
A camera caught the moment when Rivera hit Gaete with the insult noted above. She tried to offer an apology thereafter but was shunned.
“She no longer works here,” ESPN said in a statement to The Post.
Rivera, who had been employed by the network for 13 years, took responsibility for her actions but claimed she was singled out due to past arguments with certain people at the company.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral MLB stories via Google! Follow Us
“I fully accept responsibility for what I said, which I should not have,” she told the Post. “There were extenuating circumstances but that in no way is an excuse for my actions. I am a professional with a sterling reputation across baseball and I do believe that I am being singled out by a group of individuals with whom I have a long history of professional disagreements.”
Gaete is a freelance journo who was on assignment for Tokyo Broadcasting at the time. She is married to the MLB’s vice president of communications John Blundell.
