Reports are spreading that NFL star Dan Marino cheated on his wife of 28 years, Claire, with Donna Savattere, a production assistant at CBS Sports. Her 7-year-old daughter, Chloe, was revealed to be their love child after Marino confirmed the affair on Wednesday. Here’s some need-to-know facts about the mother of Dan Marino’s love child.
1. Donna Worked at CBS Sports
It’s a coincidence that this year’s Super Bowl will be broadcast on CBS, where Donna Savattere previously worked. The then-35-year-old employee worked as a production assistant at CBS Sports in 2004, when she met Dan Marino, who joined the network as a pregame analyst in 2003. It will certainly be awkward seeing the NFL Hall of Famer on CBS this Sunday co-hosting the Super Bowl pre-game show in the wake of this embarrassing revelation.
2. Donna Was Paid Millions to Keep Quiet About the Affair
After the affair in 2004 and birth of the love child in 2005, Marino agreed to pay millions to Savattere to help raise their daughter, according to the New York Post. As part of the deal, Donna moved from New York to Texas to keep the affair and the love child secret.
3. Chloe was Born Two Months Before Dan Marino’s Induction into the NFL Hall of Fame
The Post also revealed that Dan Marino and Donna Savaterre’s love child was born just two months before Dan was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame on August 7, 2005. In his acceptance speech, the former Miami Dolphins quarterback focused on his family, thanking his wife and six kids for their support over the years.
4. Donna Told Her Pals that Dan was the Father
Donna told her closest friends about the affair and the child she and Marino had together. She even showed them photographs of her and Marino together at restaurants and clubs.
5. Donna Allowed Dan to Meet His Daughter from Time to Time
The now-51-year-old football star made another agreement with Donna to allow him to meet their daughter on occasion. “They would have impromptu meetings, which was part of the deal,” a source told the Post. “Donna was always saying she had to go meet with her lawyers to go over the scheduling and other issues.”
6. Marino Admitted the Affair
Dan Marino issued a statement on Wednesday about his brief fling with Donna Savaterre. “This is a personal and private matter,” Marino told the Post. “I take full responsibility both personally and financially for my actions now as I did then. We mutually agreed to keep our arrangements private to protect all parties involved.”
7. Savaterre Became a Prominent Socialite
Eventually, Donna moved back to New York from Texas. Flush with Marino’s cash, she split her time between the posh Upper West Side and the posh Hamptons, becoming a prominent player in the social scene. She was seen in society photographs taken by professionals like Patrick McMullen and the New York Social Diary. Savattere and her husband (see below) were active in supporting the Southhampton Fresh Air Home, a facility for physically challenged children. Her family’s photograph was also taken at the annual American Picnic with Fourth of July fireworks and festivities.
8. Donna is Living a Married Life
Savattere married banker Nahill Younis, whom she met in the Bahamas in 2009. She was raising her daughter when they met, and Chloe became a part of Younis’ life, according to a Hamptons wedding website. The couple also have a son together. Savattere was previously married to a New Jersey State trooper; that marriage ended before the affair with Marino.
9. Donna Petitioned to Change Her Daughter’s Name
When she married Nahill Younis, Savattere wanted to change her daughter’s name from Chloe Alexis Savattere to Chloe Alexis Younis. Donna’s closest friends knew that Dan was the father of her child, and it seems she wanted to move past all that and start a fresh life for herself and her daughter.
10. Donna Was A Fashionista
Savettere got into fashion after marrying Younis. She appeared in Fashionistable, where she modeled for the blog wearing spring clothes in the streets of London, where her husband was raised.