Just a week after former Atlanta Braves outfielder Andruw Jones was arrested in the U.S. on a charge of domestic violence, the baseball player’s wife has filed for divorce. The 35 year old Jones was just signed to play in Japan for the Rakuten Eagles for one year in a $3.5 million deal. Shortly after the Christmas Day arrest, the team announced they were still keeping the player, understanding that there had been no assault.
Nicole Jones filed her petition in Atlanta on Monday, stating that her 10 year marriage to Andruw was irretrievably broken. Reports say she is seeking primary custody of their 9 year old son, and in addition to child support and half of the couple’s property holdings, a nullification of a prenuptial agreement. However, there is no mention of last week’s arrest on battery charges in which the police were called during the early morning hours of December 25th after a domestic argument. Jones was alleged to have dragged his wife down the stairs and then grabbed her by the neck, threatening to kill her. Police did note finding injuries to her neck when arriving at the home.
While the baseball player was later released on bail, a statement from the Rakuten Eagles said that they had no plans to annul their contract offer. A team spokesman explained that they had spoken to Jones personally, who said he had too much to drink at a Christmas party, and then got into a heated argument with his wife. While Jones also apologized to Eagles fans in Japan for making them worry, the team also understood he had done nothing wrong and there had been no physical violence. With the controversy around Jones building, the Eagles may be changing their mind on the contract offer soon.
[via Yahoo]