Christian singer Julianna Zobrist breaks silence after lawsuit claims she cheated with pastor
Christian pop singer Julianna Zobrist has publicly addressed claims made by her estranged husband, former MLB player Ben Zobrist, that alleges she had an extramarital affair with the couple's former Tennessee pastor, who also served as their marriage counselor.
In an Instagram post shared on Tuesday, Zobrist thanked those who've stuck by her side following the recent allegations made against her and throughout the past two years since the couple filed for divorce.
“There have been many ugly accusations made about me publicly in recent days,” the progressive author and artist wrote. “And this has created an expectation that I should respond by defending myself — and maybe even offering a few ugly accusations in return. Isn’t that how these kinds of things always play out?”
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The couple’s divorce proceedings and Ben Zobrist's lawsuit filed on May 6 against Byron Yawn, the couple's former pastor and counselor, revealed that Julianna Zobrist had an affair with Yawn.
Ben Zobrist, who played in the MLB from 2006 to 2019, is suing the former minister for damages in the amount sum of $6 million, claiming he defrauded his charitable foundation.
The couple separately filed for divorce in 2019. The 2016 World Series MVP's court filing alleged that his wife of 14 years was guilty of “inappropriate marital conduct.”
“I have many roles that I am extremely proud to fill—I am a teacher and a learner, a speaker and a listener, a leader and a friend to many. But, the most important role to me is—mother. Those of you who are parents will understand how heavy this responsibility is,” Julianna Zobrist's social media post continued.
The couple have three children together, and Julianna Zobrist said her main concern is to look after them at the moment.
“Nothing is more important to me than my three children," she added. "I have always tried to love them in such a way that they will be able to recognize true and healthy love for the remainder of their lives. I am choosing to protect my children’s hearts by not saying hurtful things about their father in public. My attention is focused on caring for them during this difficult time, and I refuse to divert my energy to slinging mud and publicly reveal personal details of my previous relationship in order to score sympathy points.”
The artist admitted that it's tempting to “retaliate or seek revenge when someone decides to hurt, slander or lie about you,” adding that people who harm others “are acting out of their own pain.”
“Wounded people need healing, and that’s what I pray finds every person who is so lost in their pain that they resort to inflicting harm on others,” she continued.
First reported by the Journal Star, the lawsuit revealed that Yawn had an affair with Julianna Zobrist while pastoring the family at Community Bible Church in Nashville.
The suit claims that Yawn and Zobrist began talking over the phone every day in 2018, which later developed into a sexual relationship in the spring of 2019.
Yawn's civil suit attorney, Christopher Bellamy, who is based in Nashville, said the former pastor is looking forward to “setting the record straight” about what really happened.
“At the end of the day, a woman has the right to choose who she wants to be with,” Bellamy told the media. “We’re in the middle of litigation, so I can’t really comment further at this point, but that’s what it boils down to.”
Julianna Zobrist admitted that “she is guilty of inappropriate marital conduct” in the civil suit, but added that her soon-to-be ex-husband “is also guilty of inappropriate marital conduct.”
For his part, the outspoken Christian and former athlete has denied marital misconduct.
The divorce will reportedly be a seven-day bench trial starting Aug. 9 in Franklin, Tennessee.
Zobrist ended her post to supporters stating that her “reconfigured family” now consists of “a resilient mother and her three remarkably brave children” who “are building something healthy, safe and beautiful where shame does not abide.” She did not include the children's father in that equation.
Jeannie Ortega Law is a reporter for The Christian Post. Reach her at: jeannie.law@christianpost.com Follow her on Twitter: @jlawcp Facebook: JeannieOMusic
