Baseball star Albert Pujols has announced he will be divorcing his wife of 22 years, Deidre, days after she underwent successful surgery to remove a brain tumor.
Pujols, who married Deidre in 2000, made the announcement Monday in a statement released by his agent Dan Lozano.
"I've been asked a lot of questions over the past few days regarding what's been going on at home and sadly, after 22 years of marriage, I have made the decision to file for divorce from my wife, Deidre," Pujols said.
"I realize this is not the most opportune time with Opening Day approaching and other family events that have recently taken place. These situations are never easy and isn't something that just happened overnight."
Pujols went on to state, "as a devout Christian" the split was something he "never wanted to see happen."
"For many long days and nights, I prayed, asking the Lord for his guidance," he continued, adding he and Deidre were "committed" to raising their five children.
"I am thankful for the five beautiful children that we brought into this world and remain committed to raising them in a loving and safe environment," he said. "I ask that you please respect our privacy and the privacy of our five children during this time."
During the offseason, Pujols inked a one-year deal with the Cardinals, where he started his career in 2001 and remained until 2011. He left the team for the Angels in 2012 and remained there until he joined the Dodgers this past season, Sports Illustrated noted. Pujols announced that this would be his final season in the MLB.
"This is it for me," he said, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick S. Goold. "This is my last run."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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