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| Subject: | Phoenix Suns & Mercury CEO accused of affair w/ former player Sophie Cunningham |
| From: | CanaryFan98   |
| Date: | Mon, 19-May-2025 4:43:59 PM PDT |
| Where: | SoapZone Community Message Board |
| In reply to: | WEEK OF MAY 19th POTPOURRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIII posted by chloe |
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Josh Bartelstein is accused of having a secret relationship with the former Phoenix Mercury player.
Joe Price
May 19, 2025
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Phoenix Suns and Mercury CEO Josh Bartelstein in a split image with Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham.
Chris Coduto / Stringer and Catalina Fragoso via Getty Images
A new lawsuit alleges that Phoenix Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein secretly had an affair with former Phoenix Mercury player Sophie Cunningham.
As reported by Front Office Sports, former Phoenix Suns Director of Security Gene Taylor filed a lawsuit against the franchise and its associated companies for racial discrimination and failing to implement sufficient security measures. In one portion of the lawsuit, Taylor alleged that Cornelius Craig, Vice President of Security and Risk Management at the franchise, demoted him on his first day at work. He also spoke with Bartelstein about the behavior of Craig, whom he believed to be targeting him.
As the lawsuit alleges, Craig was "spreading damaging information about [Bartelstein]," which Taylor confided to the franchise CEO. "When Bartelstein asked plaintiff to reveal what Craig was saying, plaintiff explained that Craig had been telling others, 'Josh Bartelstein is ****ing Sophie Cunningham,'" the lawsuit reads.
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Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury CEO, Josh Bartelstein, was sleeping with former Phoenix Mercury player Sophie Cunningham.
This was discovered after a former employee recently filed a lawsuit against the Phoenix Suns.
The alleged interaction between Taylor and Bartelstein went down on October 10, 2024. Cunningham, who was selected thirteenth in the 2019 WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury, was traded to the Indiana Fever in January, 2025. Neither Bartelstein or Cunningham has commented on the alleged affair.
The latest lawsuit is just another in a long line of issues for the Phoenix Suns and Mercury, who ousted former owner Robert Sarver for $4 billion in December 2022. The teams have since come under the control of Mat Ishbia, but there have been at least four lawsuits accusing the franchise of discrimination since November 2024.
