Ex-MLB Star Ben Zobrist Alleges Wife Julianna Had Affair with Pastor in Lawsuit

Former MLB player Ben Zobrist is suing Forrest Crain & Co. CEO Bryon Yawn, accusing the man of having an affair with his wife, Julianna, while he was their pastor at the Community Bible Church in Nashville, per Nick Vlahos of the Journal Star. 

Per that report, Zobrist "paused his 2019 Cubs season for about four months as he and 36-year-old Julianna, a contemporary-Christian singer, addressed their marital problems. During that stretch, Ben Zobrist lost about $8 million in income, according to the lawsuit filed May 6 in Nashville. Two years ago in a neighboring county, he filed for divorce."

Per Vlahos, Yawn served as the couple's pre- and post-marital counselor, and the lawsuit said he began talking with Julianna Zobrist on a daily basis in 2018 before the pair engaged in a sexual relationship for about a year starting in 2019. 

Yawn's wife, Robin, reportedly found pre-paid mobile phones the pair were using to contact one another and reached out to Ben Zobrist, telling him she believed they were engaged in an emotional relationship.

The Zobrists began marital counseling at that point, though Julianna Zobrist reportedly admitted to the sexual nature of the relationship in June 2020, during divorce proceedings. 

The lawsuit has also claimed that Zobrist donated as much as $10,000 monthly to the Community Bible Church, along with other requests made by Yawn:

"Mr. Yawn often capitalized on the Plaintiff's celebrity, asking him to sign autographs for his mother-in-law; requesting tickets to baseball games; hosting 'Guys Night Out' for the church at Mr. Zobrist's home; (requesting) that Mr. Zobrist send personal videos to parishioners who were being baptized; and nominating Mr. Zobrist as a deacon of Community Bible Church in hopes that his celebrity would attract new parishioners and keep current parishioners."

The lawsuit also said Yawn fraudulently received $3,500 monthly paychecks from the not-for-profit charity Zobrist founded, Patriot Forward, for two months after being dismissed as the executive director in March 2019. 

Zobrist last played for the Chicago Cubs in the 2019 season. He was a three-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion during his career, winning the 2016 World Series MVP.