Yankees’ Mariano Rivera and Wife Accused of Covering Up Child Sex Abuse

Yankees Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera and his wife, Clara Rivera, have been accused of covering up child sexual abuse in their home and at their church.

The allegations were made against Mariano, 55, and Clara in a lawsuit filed in New York on Thursday, January 16.

The complaint, filed in the Supreme Court of Westchester County and obtained by Us Weekly, alleges the Riveras covered up the abuse of a young girl linked to their church, Refuge of Hope in New Rochelle, New York.

Mariano is the lead pastor at the church while Clara is in charge of its day-to-day operations. They are accused of being negligent after discovering the young girl (known as “Jane Doe”) was allegedly being abused by an older minor girl (known as “MG”) and did not act following the discovery.

SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Tampa Bay Rays player Wander Franco is under investigation by the MLB after allegedly being in a relationship with a minor. On August 13, rumors swirled via social media that Franco, 22, was allegedly involved with an underage girl. That same day, Franco did not play in the scheduled game against the Cleveland […]

The alleged abuse occurred during a 2018 summer internship at the Ignite Life Center in Gainesville, Florida, a program that was supported by the Refuge of Hope church. The plaintiff was encouraged by Clara to take part in the internship, who suggested it to her mother, according to the complaint. The plaintiff’s mother became concerned about her daughter’s safety at the camp following phone calls from the plaintiff, which she then raised with Clara, who assured Jane Doe’s mother she would investigate further, per the suit.

According to the complaint’s claims, the Riveras made their way from New York to the summer camp in Florida where they “learned or should have learned information” about the sexual abuse.

The complaint reads: “Rather than take sufficient action to end the sexual abuse of Jane Doe (the victim), the Riveras each separately isolated and intimidated Jane Doe to remain silent about her abuse by MG (the suspect) to avoid causing trouble for Refuge of Hope and the Ignite Life Summer Internship.”

The alleged abuse then continued at a barbecue at the couple’s former home in Rye, N.Y. following Jane Doe’s return from the summer camp, according to the lawsuit. The suit claims the couple invited the church’s children to the barbeque where Jane Doe was left unsupervised with MG despite the earlier incidents that allegedly occurred at the Florida summer camp. The parents of the children, including Jane Doe’s mother, were allegedly not invited to the barbecue.

While Hollywood may appear to be all glitz and glam on the surface, the industry has seen its fair share of scandals through the years. The New York Times and the New Yorker first published investigative pieces in 2017 that accused disgruntled movie producer Harvey Weinstein of decades of sexual assault and harassment. Soon after, Weinstein stood trial and was […]

The complaint claims the Riveras did not take appropriate action and chose to deal with them internally in order to “avoid scrutiny, public scandal, and potential financial losses from allegations of child sexual abuse becoming public information.”

Ruben Tavarez Jr., the adult son of Refuge of Hope Associate Pastor Ruben Tavarez Sr., is also accused in the lawsuit of abusing the girl in August 2021.

Baseball star Mariano found fame playing 19 seasons as a closer for the New York Yankees. During his stint from 1995 to 2013, he became a 13-time MLB All-Star and five-time World Series champion. In 1999, he nabbed that year’s World Series MVP Award. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump in 2019. That same year, he was unanimously inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The Riveras have yet to respond to the lawsuit and don’t have a listed attorney.

You May Also Like

The Timeline of Jacob Roloff and Isabel Rock’s Romance on Little People, Big World

Jacob Roloff continues to experience a big, fulfilled life away from the…

Pedro Pascal Receives Backlash for Standing by Rachel Zegler Amid ‘Snow White’ Controversy

Receiving backlash online, Pedro Pascal is under fire for showing support for…

Kanye West Reveals He Wasn’t Interested in Having Children with Kim Kardashian

Kanye West says he never wanted to have children with ex-wife Kim…

Hailey Bieber clarifies rumors about unfollowing Justin Bieber.

Hailey Bieber is setting the record straight after the internet erupted with…

Kendrick Lamar’s Collaboration with ‘South Park’ Creators Delayed to 2026

Prince Harry accused of sending a bossy note to Sentebale leader when she declined to support Meghan.

Prince Harry has been accused of sending an “unpleasant” note to the…

Elon Musk Uncertain About Paternity of Ashley St. Clair’s Child, But Provides $500K Annually

Elon Musk has shared details about the financial support for his alleged…

“Ne Zha 2 Continues to Lead China Box Office While A Working Man Makes a Subdued Debut”

Get Honest Insights from People Who Knew Rex Huermann in Documentary About Gilgo Murders

Those that knew Rex Huermann are now opening up about his behavior…

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez spotted at Dolce & Gabbana in Milan preparing for their special wedding in Venice

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez were spotted shopping for clothes at Dolce…

Update on Eric Graise’s Status on ‘Tracker’: Will He Be Coming Back?

Tracker finally revealed why Eric Graise has been absent for six episodes…

‘SNL’ Writer Mocks Morgan Wallen for Exiting Stage During Show Ending

“SNL” writer Josh Patten has trolled Morgan Wallen after the singer’s shocking…