Former MLB star Ben Zobrist is best remembered for his versatility on the baseball field, his three World Series appearances and his role in the Chicago Cubs’ historic 2016 championship. Away from baseball, however, his marriage to Christian singer Julianna Zobrist became the subject of a lengthy and highly publicized divorce.
Julianna, who has also used the name Julianna Glasse, was married to Zobrist for 14 years. They married in 2005 and had three children together before their relationship broke down in 2019. The resulting divorce proceedings became complicated by allegations involving the couple’s former pastor and by significant financial disagreements.
Who Is Julianna?
Julianna Zobrist is a Christian recording artist, author and speaker. She released music during her marriage to Ben and became known for combining her faith with contemporary Christian pop.
Stick to the Facts
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She and Zobrist were frequently presented as a prominent Christian couple during his MLB career. Their public image included family, faith and charitable work, and the two even collaborated on a book about marriage and family.
After their separation, Julianna gradually stepped away from much of the public attention surrounding the divorce. She has subsequently been associated with her maiden name, Julianna Glasse.
Their Marriage
Ben and Julianna married in 2005, early in his professional baseball career. Their marriage continued through his rise from a versatile young player into an established MLB star.
They eventually became parents to three children: a son and two daughters. Their youngest child, daughter Blaise Royal, was born shortly after the Kansas City Royals won the 2015 World Series, adding a memorable family connection to one of the biggest moments of Ben’s career.
The family later spent time in Tennessee, where the events surrounding their eventual separation unfolded.
The 2019 Split
The marriage began unraveling in 2019.
In May of that year, Zobrist filed for legal separation in Tennessee, while Julianna also initiated divorce proceedings. The timing coincided with a difficult period in Zobrist’s baseball career.
The former Cubs player stepped away from the team in May 2019, explaining that he needed time to address serious personal and family circumstances. He eventually returned late in the season but never again played a full MLB campaign. Reporting at the time connected his leave to the marital crisis.
The Pastor Case
The divorce received considerably more attention in 2021 after Zobrist filed a $6 million lawsuit against Byron Yawn, a former pastor and marital counselor who had also worked with Zobrist’s charitable organization.
In the lawsuit, Zobrist alleged that Yawn had engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with Julianna while serving in a counseling role. The complaint also accused Yawn of wrongdoing involving Zobrist’s charity, Patriot Forward. These were allegations made in litigation, not findings that should be treated as established fact.
Court filings from the divorce proceedings later contained admissions concerning Julianna’s relationship with Yawn. Contemporary reporting described the relationship as having developed from a friendship into a romantic relationship.
Julianna publicly responded to the controversy in 2021, urging people not to respond to painful circumstances with revenge and emphasizing healing in a statement shared on social media.
The MLB Impact
The collapse of Zobrist’s marriage had a direct effect on his baseball career.
He took a leave of absence from the Chicago Cubs during the 2019 season and returned in September. Zobrist had been an important part of the Cubs organization, but he did not return to regular MLB action afterward.
His final playing season was 2019, bringing an end to a 13-year major-league career.
That career included stops with the Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals and Chicago Cubs. He won the World Series with Kansas City in 2015 and with Chicago in 2016. He was also named the 2016 World Series Most Valuable Player.
Financial Disputes
Money became another major issue during the divorce.
Court proceedings involved disagreements over the couple’s marital assets and the financial consequences of Zobrist’s decision to step away from baseball. Julianna’s legal position included a claim that his absence from the Cubs reduced the marital estate and caused substantial financial losses.
Ben’s side disputed that argument and maintained that the circumstances surrounding his leave were connected to the breakdown of the marriage.
The divorce case ultimately involved extensive financial evidence. A Tennessee judge issued a lengthy ruling in 2022, but important details of the final division of assets have remained private. Recent reporting indicates that the ruling itself was sealed, meaning the complete settlement terms are not publicly available.
The $6 Million Lawsuit
The lawsuit against Byron Yawn did not ultimately proceed to a public judgment on the merits.
Zobrist voluntarily withdrew the $6 million civil case in August 2021. Contemporary reports noted that the dismissal was without prejudice, leaving open the possibility of refiling at that point. No final court finding established the allegations contained in Zobrist’s complaint.
This distinction is important because much of the online discussion surrounding the case repeats allegations from the lawsuit as though they were independently proven.
Divorce Finalized
The Zobrists’ divorce proceedings continued after the initial filings in 2019 and culminated in a trial in Tennessee in 2021.
A judge subsequently issued a ruling in February 2022 dealing with the division of their marital estate. The specific terms were not made fully public because the decision was sealed.
The legal proceedings therefore brought an end to the couple’s marriage, but many details of their financial settlement remain unavailable to the public.
Life After Divorce
Following the divorce, Julianna reduced her public presence and focused more heavily on her family and personal life. She has also used the name Julianna Glasse, her maiden name, on social media.
Ben Zobrist, meanwhile, moved on from professional baseball. His post-MLB life has been considerably quieter than the years when he was a regular presence on national sports broadcasts.
The former couple continue to share a connection through their three children, who remain the most enduring part of their relationship.
Ben Zobrist’s ex-wife is Julianna Zobrist, now known as Julianna Glasse. The couple married in 2005, had three children and remained together for roughly 14 years before filing for divorce in 2019.
Their separation became unusually public because of the legal dispute involving former pastor Byron Yawn, Zobrist’s temporary departure from baseball and disagreements over finances.
By 2022, the divorce and division of their marital estate had been resolved by a Tennessee court. Today, the most important fact about their relationship is that they are former spouses who continue to share parental responsibilities for their three children.
Zobrist’s baseball legacy remains separate from the painful end of his marriage: he finished his career as a two-time World Series champion and the MVP of the 2016 World Series, while his personal life after baseball has largely remained away from the spotlight.
