Frank McCourt, owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and his wife Jamie McCourt announced on October 14, 2009 that they are separating after 30 years of marriage. She is the Vice Chairman and president of the franchise, running the Dodgers business side. Frank’s son Drew McCourt is the Dodgers director of marketing.
The timing of the news has many baffled, coming on the eve of the National League Championship Series. The Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies will begin a best of seven battle on Thursday night in L.A.
Dodgers manager Joe Torre had to beat down a recent ESPN report by Peter Gammons that quoted him as saying that working for the McCourts was a “living hell”. Torres told Yahoo! Sports reporter Tim Brown that the earlier report was bogus.
Jamie McCourt and Jeff Fuller, a high ranking employee of the Dodger organization, had an affair, according to Frank McCourt’s attorney Debra Fischer. Fuller was fired after Frank caught wind of a two-and-a-half-week trip the pair took to France in early July.
In a released statement, a spokesman for the McCourt’s said, “This is a personal matter and they request that their privacy be respected.” The announcement has many speculating that the split won’t be amicable, and will force the sale of the team.
Jamie McCourt was the first to file for divorce on October 27, 2009, after she was fired from her $2 million a year position, and locked out of her office at Dodger Stadium. According to Mrs. McCourt, her firing was a complete reversal of their previous agreement that if she waited to file for divorce until after the 2009 post-season, she could keep her position.
She is asking for $321,000 per month in spousal support and her old job back. If she isn’t allowed back into the Dodger organization she will need $488,000 per month.
Mrs. McCourt has also requested that all of her perks be reinstated, including funding for 5 business dinners a week, 5 business lunches a week, flowers in her office, hair and makeup for Dodgers events, $32,912 monthly clothing and accessories allowance, and $11,635 personal care allowance.
The above mentioned demands were just a few interesting tidbits that were cherry-picked from the 137-page court document. The court battle is likely to be fierce.
View more photos of the couple below.
Photos: WENN