Just shy of being married for 30 years, Cal Ripken, and his now ex-wife, Kelly Ripken, are announcing that their marriage is officially over. The Ripken divorce had been in the process for a while now, and Kelly Ripken says that the details of the divorce are sealed, and the Ripkens are not interested in speaking about the divorce publicly. In a statement, Kelly Ripken says that she will continue with her life of philanthropy. Kelly Ripken is asking for privacy for herself and her children, Rachel and Ryan, both adults.
Cal Ripken Jr. — Marriage Streak Is Over … Divorces Wife https://t.co/CVRMtm1Chc | https://t.co/Xb1pMOMOeg pic.twitter.com/Y2VjctolLQ
— Promote News Entertainments & Arts Feed PR (@ProEntsArtsNews) April 28, 2016
The Baltimore Sun is quoting Sanford Ain, the attorney for Kelly Ripken , who explains that Ripken is moving on.
“Kelly has been a great mother to two fabulous children and a wonderful, faithful wife for the duration of the parties’ relationship, which lasted more than 30 years. This is a difficult time for her and she asks that her privacy and the privacy of her children be respected.”
WENT DOWN SWINGING: Cal Ripken and wife Kelly getting divorced after more than 30 years https://t.co/zVoC5p1wYo pic.twitter.com/4fhaRfmWUJ
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) April 28, 2016
Ain explained that everything is private, and sealed, and so they will not be disclosing the cause of the end of the marriage. Cal Ripken’s lawyer could not be reached for comment, but his publicist, John Maroon, confirmed that the divorce is final, and that at least for the summer, Ripken has moved to Annapolis, and will be renting a house there at least for the summer.
Kelly Ripken had been clear that sometimes, living in the spotlight was a bit too much for her, but the couple was able to work through a number of obstacles together.
“Every now and then [the attention] can get to be too much. What I do then is just stay in my home. But for Cal, I wouldn’t want it any other way. By not having that privacy, it shows me that my husband is doing his job and people appreciate how hard he works.”
MLB Hall of Famer, Cal Ripken and his wife Kelly have finalized their divorce. #Orioles (via @cbsbaltimore ) pic.twitter.com/pxCDmZGlsx
— FOX Sports Radio1340 (@1340AMFOXSports) April 28, 2016
The Washington Post is reporting that Cal Ripken and Kelly Ripken had their divorce finalized in Baltimore County court this morning, and the reasons behind the split will remain private, though some details of the settlement were revealed, like the value of the minor league team, and sports complexes bearing the Ripken name, which are worth $75 million. No other details were released.
Cal and Kelly Ripken, who have been married since 1987, defied the odds in professional sports by remaining married for so long. Daughter, Rachel Ripken, is 26, and son, Ryan Ripken, is 22, and now playing minor league baseball for the Washington Nationals farm team.
Like the spokesman for Kelly Ripken, the representative for Cal Ripken says that he too will not be commenting on any of the details of their divorce.
Cal Ripken Jr. and Kelly Ripken have divorced after 29 years of marriage. https://t.co/ybmDa1Dsmx pic.twitter.com/ZnApkjgn3R
— Baltimore Sun Arts (@baltsunlife) April 28, 2016
The Capital Gazette recently reported that Cal Ripken had officially moved to Annapolis from his home in Northern Baltimore County. Annapolis resident Chris Rasmussen said that he was surprised to see Ripken while he was casting his ballot on Tuesday.
“I almost didn’t recognize him. We had a great conversation regarding our families and the changing roles of fathers at our age.”
The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, named for the father of Cal Ripken, will be holding their annual fundraiser, Ripkens Uncorked, on May 19 at the Chart House restaurant in Annapolis.
Cal Ripken is still considered a favorite son in Baltimore for his time playing on the Baltimore Orioles. Ripken, who played 21 seasons with the Orioles, holds the record for most consecutive games played at 2,632. He retired in 2001.
Do you respect the right of Cal Ripken and Kelly Ripken to keep the details of their divorce private?
[Photo by Kris Connor/Getty Images]