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Madonna Named in A-Rod Divorce Case

Cynthia Rodriguez, the wife of New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez, filed for divorce in a Miami court today, claiming that he's been unfaithful and "emotionally abandoned his wife and children." According to the divorce papers, "The marriage of the parties is irretrievably broken because of the husband's extramarital affairs and other marital misconduct."

Among the misconduct details is the third baseman's rumored relationship with Madonna. According to Mrs. Rodriguez's lawyer, A-Rod views Madonna as his "soul mate … [she's] the straw that broke the camel's back."

"This all started with Kaballah," a family friend told The New York Daily News. "Alex told Cynthia that he'd discovered that he'd been looking for his soul mate. And now, he said, he'd found her." Madonna has recently faced rumors of her own impending divorce from filmmaker Guy Ritchie, telling People.com, "My husband and I are not planning on getting a divorce. I know Alex Rodriguez through Guy Oseary, who manages both of us. I brought my kids to a Yankee game. I am not romantically involved in any way with Alex Rodriguez. I have nothing to do with the state of his marriage or what spiritual path he may choose to study."

To make matters even more complicated, Lenny Kravitz has been romantically linked to Cynthia because of her decision to stay at his Paris mansion. He's already denied the claim, however, saying in a statement, "There is absolutely no affair between Cynthia Rodriguez and myself. It is unequivocally 100-percent not true. Cynthia is a friend and is here (in Paris) with the godfather of her baby, who is also Alex's trainer, his wife and their baby girl. She came here to escape from everything happening in New York City. I opened my home to her as friend and it's extremely hurtful that I am now being referred to as an adulterer."

The Rodriguez clan, which includes 3-year-old Natasha and 3-month-old Ella, currently lives in a $12 million Miami home. Alex Rodriguez—baseball's highest-paid player as of last year's 10-year, $275 million deal with the Yankees—also has a $7.4 million flat on New York's Trump Park Avenue. Mrs. Rodriguez is seeking primary custody of their two children, child support, alimony, and control of their Coral Gables home.

—The ARTISTdirect Staff
07.07.08