Update April 27, 2023: TMZ Sports released the video showing former ESPN reporter Marly Rivera hurling a vulgar insult at colleague Ivón Gaete at Yankee Stadium last week. In the video, Rivera is visibly upset that Gaete wants to interview Yankee captain Aaron Judge after Rivera had apparently already scheduled time to interview him during pre-game. Judge can be seen signing autographs for children when Rivera confronts Gaete and begins berating her. It is not clear what Gaete said to Rivera in response. When Gaete steps forward and next to Judge, Rivera calls her a “f—king c–t.” Gaete looks stunned as Rivera walks off. Rivera then returns and they exchange words once again about how they’re both working while Gaete positions herself next to Judge for her interview.
Marly Rivera, a baseball reporter for ESPN and ESPN Deportes, is speaking out after she was fired on Wednesday (April 26) from the network for an incident that occurred at Yankees Stadium on April 18.
Before a game between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels, Rivera and another reporter, Ivón Gaete, had a disagreement about who was going to interview Yankee captain Aaron Judge.
Rivera said she tried to explain to Gaete that she had already scheduled an interview with Judge, but that Gaete allegedly ignored her. During the argument, Rivera called Gaete a “f—king c–t.” Gaete, who was on a freelance assignment for Tokyo Broadcasting, is the wife of Major League Baseball’s Vice President of Communications, John Blundell.
Apparently, the incident was caught on camera. Rivera attempted to apologize to Gaete later, but Gaete did not accept. In a statement to USA Today Sports, ESPN confirmed Rivera’s firing and said she “no longer works here.”
Rivera responded to her firing by telling the New York Post that she accepted full responsibility for what she said and that there was no excuse for her actions. She did, however, add that there were “extenuating circumstances” that factored into how she reacted to Gaete. Rivera said she has had disagreements with Gaete’s husband during her tenure at ESPN.
“I am a professional with a sterling reputation across baseball, and I do believe that I am being singled out by a group of individuals with whom I have a long history of professional disagreements,” she said.
Marly Rivera was employed with ESPN for 13 years. In 2017, the Puerto Rican-born reporter was named one of “The 30 Most Influential Hispanics in Sports” by Sports Illustrated. And she has reportedly disabled her social media since the firing.