An ESPN veteran female baseball reporter was reportedly fired after calling another female reporter the c-word.
Marly Rivera , who had worked at ESPN for 13 years, was feuding with freelance reporter Ivon Gaete after Rivera told Gaete that Rivera had a planned interview with New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge. Gaete — who happens to be the wife of MLB vice president of communications, John Blundell — also wanted to interview Judge, precipitating an argument in which Rivera called Gaete a “f***ing c***.”
“She no longer works here,” ESPN told The New York Post regarding Rivera, whose verbiage was caught on video.
Rivera reportedly tried to apologize after the incident but Gaete refused to accept the apology.
“I fully accept responsibility for what I said, which I should not have,” Rivera, who has appeared on Sunday Night Baseball telecasts and serves as an ESPN Radio MLB playoff game analyst, told The Post.
“There were extenuating circumstances but that in no way is an excuse for my actions. 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 added.
Previous incidents in which Rivera had confrontations with other members of the media were revealed after her firing.
Two people informed The Washington Post that Rivera had called a reporter competing with her to take photos of a Hispanic player a “white b****.” Rivera also reportedly called a fellow Latino reporter a “fake Hispanic.”
In July 2022, Rivera spoke with ESPN’s ”Front Row,” which asked, “What does it mean to you to serve as an SNB analyst on ESPN Radio?”
“It is an honor to have been selected as a sub for my colleague Doug Glanville, Rivera answered. “And knowing the voices that have filled that seat, it is a responsibility that I do not take lightly. As the first woman baseball writer to be an analyst on a national broadcast – and only the second Latina to do so after my colleague Jess Mendoza – I hope to inspire one person out there who does not believe whatever they hope to accomplish in their own lives is possible.”
Rivera’s bio has been removed from the ESPN press room website.