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Melisa Reidy-Russell declined to speak with MLB at first after a friend of hers alleged that Cubs shortstop Addison Russell physically abused her. Those comments were posted on Instagram in 2017, which led to an investigation by MLB. It wasn’t until last week that Russell was placed on administrative leave after Reidy posted a blog, telling her story.
ESPN’s Jesse Rogers had an exclusive interview with Reidy, who spoke publicly for the first time about the domestic violence allegations.
Here’s why she waited until after her divorce to share her story of abuse, via ESPN.
“Last year, when MLB contacted me, I wasn’t ready,” Reidy-Russell said in an interview with ESPN. “I didn’t know what was the right thing to do. I didn’t even believe in myself enough to think I should do that (cooperate). I just left my husband and all this blew up.”
“My lawyers thought I wasn’t prepared, emotionally,” Reidy-Russell said regarding the summer of 2017, when she posted on Instagram alleging infidelity on the part of the Cubs shortstop. A friend commented on the since-deleted post, alleging physical abuse by Russell. Major League Baseball opened an investigation of Russell under its domestic abuse protocol.
“They told me I didn’t have to do it on their timeline,” she said. “I told them I wanted to wait until after my divorce.”
Reidy posted her story last week and has been interviewed by MLB, as the league continues its investigation on Russell.
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“It wasn’t sitting right with me,” Reidy-Russell said. “I took it upon myself to do what I needed to do regardless what could happen, financially. I know that I’m going to be OK … I shouldn’t have to feel like I can’t speak out to help someone else, in order to protect someone that hurt me.”
In the phone interview with Rogers, Reidy once again said Russell physically abused her, but didn’t get into details. Russell has denied the allegations.
As to why Reidy didn’t say anything during the marriage, this was her response.
“Even during our marriage and divorce, he would try to tell me, ‘That never happened.’ I was like, ‘How are you telling me something never happened when it happened?’ He was trying to convince me that I was crazy.
“I almost started to believe him. People are good at manipulating others. And when you’ve been manipulated for so long you start to believe the lies. You have to tell yourself, you know what is right and what is wrong.”
She never reported the alleged abuse to police.
“That wasn’t an option at that time,” she said. “I loved my husband a lot. I even made excuses for him. And there’s such an embarrassment.”
You can read the full story from ESPN here.
Russell’s administrative leave was extended through the end of the regular season. Ken Rosenthal reported earlier this week that MLB has interview Reidy and other witnesses, and that all signs point to a suspension.
