Mariano Rivera enjoyed a Hall of Fame career in the MLB working as the New York Yankees closer for 17 seasons. However, he’s recently found himself in some hot water during his post-playing career after he and his wife, Clara, were accused of failing to protect a teenage girl from being sexually abused. And after a lawsuit was filed in January, a big change has been made that impacts the Riveras.
The original lawsuit claimed that the girl was suggested to attend a summer camp internship program that was affiliated with a church named “Refuge of Hope.” The church was founded by the Riveras, and Clara was revealed to be the one who pushed the girl towards attending the camp. The lawsuit said that, while there, the girl was “repeatedly sexually abused” by another older camp member who was in attendance.
Mariano and Clara Rivera Named in Updated Lawsuit
In the initial lawsuit filed, the Riveras were not named as defendants. Instead, Refuge of Hope and a limited liability company linked to the Riveras were listed as the defendants. However, things took a turn for Mariano Rivera and his wife on Wednesday that could impact how this lawsuit plays out.
Rather than being accused of acknowledging and covering up the abuse, the Riveras have both been listed as defendants in the lawsuit. Aside from this change, though, there are no other noteworthy differences in the lawsuit. Beyond that, the Riveras are not being charged with any criminal wrongdoing at this time.
“Adam Horowitz, an attorney for the girl, said Wednesday that the Riveras were added as named defendants in an amended court filing finalized Wednesday after it was determined they were not connected with the LLC,” Anthony Olivieri of ESPN wrote on Wednesday. “He said details within the lawsuit largely remain the same. The Riveras have not been charged with any criminal wrongdoing.”
Mariano and Clara Rivera Deny Wrongdoing in Abuse Lawsuit
GettyFormer New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera.
While the Riveras did not address their addition to the lawsuit, they have known about its existence since 2022 after the girl’s attorney requested a financial settlement. To this point, no such deal has been reached, with an attorney for the Riveras declaring these allegations “completely false” back when the lawsuit was filed in January.
“Joseph A. Ruta, an attorney for the Riveras, said in a previous statement that any allegations that they knew about or failed to act on reports of child abuse ‘are completely false,'” Olivieri wrote for ESPN. “He said the couple learned of the allegations in 2022 after receiving a letter from an attorney requesting a financial settlement.”
Rivera is known as arguably the greatest closer in MLB history. He spent his 19-year career with the Yankees, operating as their closer for 17 straight seasons. Rivera holds the MLB record for all-time saves with 652, while also earning 13 All-Star selections throughout the course of his career. During his time with New York, Rivera also helped the team win quite a bit, as he won five World Series championships before calling it a career back in 2013.
Mariano Rivera & His Wife Named in Abuse Lawsuit