Ex-Cubs star Ben Zobrist claims wife Julianna had affair with their pastor, lawsuit says

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About a year after he took a leave of absence from the Chicago Cubs, Ben Zobrist discovered his wife was having an affair with their minister, according to court documents

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The minister was also accused of defrauding Zobrist's charity foundation, for which he worked

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Now retired after a 13-year major-league baseball career, Zobrist is seeking $6 million in damages from Byron Yawn, the CEO of Forrest Crain & Co., a Nashville-area business-consulting firm.

Yawn also is a former pastor and elder at Community Bible Church in Nashville. In that position, Yawn met Zobrist and his wife, the former Julianna Gilmore, about 16 years ago. The Zobrists, who were married in 2005, and have three children.

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Ben Zobrist paused his 2019 Cubs season for about four months as he and 36-year-old Julianna Zobrist, a contemporary-Christian singer, addressed their marital problems.

During that stretch, Ben Zobrist lost about $8 million in income, according to the lawsuit filed May 6 in Nashville. Two years ago in a neighboring county, he filed for divorce.

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Yawn provided the Zobrists pre- and post-marital counseling, the lawsuit stated. He also counseled Ben Zobrist regarding anxiety and depression.

Beginning in August 2018, Yawn talked daily with Julianna Zobrist, the lawsuit stated. It alleged their sexual relationship began in the spring of 2019 and lasted for about a year.

Yawn and Julianna Zobrist used pre-paid mobile telephones to help conceal their relationship. Yawn's wife, Robin Yawn, discovered the phones in May 2019.

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Ben Zobrist did not know until June 2020 that his wife and Byron Yawn had a sexual relationship, the lawsuit stated. Julianna Zobrist admitted the nature of the relationship, and that she lied to her husband about it, in responses to written requests for admission in a divorce proceeding.

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Also that month, Ben Zobrist left the Cubs after he had played 26 games that season. He did not return until September. Zobrist also missed part of 2019 spring training, for what was called an excused absence.

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"She used the words emotional, verbal and spiritual abuse. I was shocked," Ben Zobrist texted. "Can't be 2,000 miles away from her and kids while she's thinking that about me. I have owned every bit of my sin, but I will not own the abuse angle."

Replied Byron Yawn: "I'm sure it's like getting knocked off your feet and into your head. But I can't imagine what it feels like in this moment. Your (sic) a husband and a father first. That's who you are."

Yawn encouraged Zobrist to give his wife some space, the lawsuit alleged.

With those marital problems as a backdrop, Yawn worked himself into a leadership position with Patriot Forward, a not-for-profit group Ben Zobrist founded. Its purpose is to help professional athletes tend to their mental health and prepare for life after their careers.

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Yawn drafted his job description as executive director of the charity, the lawsuit stated. But in March 2019, Yawn was terminated.

Still, Yawn continued to draw a $3,500 monthly salary until May 2019. The lawsuit did not explain how Yawn was issued those checks, other than to say it was done fraudulently.

The lawsuit also revealed Ben Zobrist donated significant sums to Community Bible Church. On average, he contributed $10,000 monthly. Zobrist also gave the Yawn family between $10,000 and $15,000 to fund a pastoral trip.

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