(Facebook)
For the second time in three years, a female Boston Red Sox beat reporter has had her relationship with a member of the organization called into question. This time, the rumors involve Red Sox manager John Farrell and former CSNNE reporter Jessica Moran, 32. Since the allegations came to light, Moran has resigned her position at the network, something that her former employers “supported,” reports the Boston Globe.
In 2013, former Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks was rumored to be dating NESN reporter Jenny Dell. She was taken off air after those rumors spread. The couple went public with their relationship on New Years Eve 2013. Dell joined CBS Sports in May 2014 and Middlebrooks joined the Padres in December 2014. They were married on Valentine’s Day 2016.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. This Week ‘There Has Been Speculation About Farrell’s Relationship With Moran’
(Instagram)
The Boston Globe reports that, “In recent days at the Red Sox spring training facility in Fort Myers, Fla., there has been speculation among local and national baseball reporters about Farrell’s relationship with Moran, who until Friday covered the team for the network. Asked about the nature of his relationship with Moran, Farrell declined to comment on Friday.”
Moran texted a reporter at the newspaper saying, “I have stepped away from Comcast SportsNet,” having been with the company since September 2009. She had been the host of SportsNet Central, which aired nightly at 6 p.m., 10:30 .m. and 1:00 a.m.
2. Farrell Is in the Middle of a Divorce From His Wife of 30 Years
(Getty)
Red Sox manager John Farrell is in the process of divorcing his wife of 30 years, Sue Farrell. The couple have three children together, all three were selected in the MLB Draft. They have been separated since 2014. Farrell told the Boston Globe in the midst of the Moran rumors, “I can confirm that we’re in the process of getting a divorce. As you can understand, this is a tough time for my family.”
The questions about his marriage were apparently raised when the 2016 Red Sox media guide was given to reporters. It listed Farrell as unmarried. When he was asked about Moran by the Globe, the manager replied, “My private life is private.”
Sue Farrell pictured with the couple’s sons on Facebook.
The manager recently battled stage 1 lymphoma and began chemo in August 2015. On October 22, he learned the cancer was in remission, reported ESPN.
The couple’s son, Luke Farrell, underwent two surgeries in 2010 to remove a large tumor from his neck back, according to an ESPN feature.
3. CSN Has Scrubbed Moran’s History From Their Website
(Instagram)
In the hours after Moran’s resignation, her profile was removed from CSNNE’s website. She also deleted her Twitter page, you can view a cached version here. On her Instagram page, Moran’s last photos, which were dated from a week before the affair rumors surfaced, show her in Fort Myers, Florida. The Red Sox have held their spring training in the city since 1993.
4. She Was an All-Division Soccer Player in High School
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She’s a native of New England and was raised between Ludlow, Massachusetts, and Cumberland, Rhode Island. Moran is a graduate of Cumberland High School, class of 2001, where she was second team all-division soccer player. She played as a goalie and in midfield. According to her Instagram page she’s an avid golfer.
5. She Transferred From the University of Tampa to Rhode Island College in Her Junior Year
(Rhode Island College)
Moran is a graduate of Rhode Island College. She transferred to the school in 2002 having spent her freshman and sophomore years at the University of Tampa. Moran was a soccer star in college too. She was a communications major.