Fresh start. David Ortiz (a.k.a. “Big Papi”) and his wife, Tiffany Ortiz, have split after more than two decades together.
“Over the past 25 years, David and I have shared a beautiful adventure in love and partnership. We have made the decision to go into a new phase of our life journey together, not as a couple, but as friends and co-parents to our amazing children,” Tiffany, 47, wrote via Instagram on Monday, December 13, alongside a black-and-white wedding photo.
The former Boston Red Sox athlete, 46, has yet to address the end of his marriage. The pair tied the knot in 2002 after six years of dating and share three children: Jessica, 25, Alexandra, 20, and D’Angelo, 17.
In 2013, David filed for divorce from the Wisconsin native, telling MLB.com at the time, “There are some situations in life that work out for a period of time and at some point, they don’t work out anymore and you have to move on. I’m moving on. She’s moving on. Hopefully everybody respects that.”
However, the twosome reconciled by the following year, with Tiffany telling the Boston Herald in 2014 that she and the Babe Ruth Award winner “missed each other terribly” while they were separated.
Before the duo’s split made headlines on Tuesday, the Dominican Republic native was noticeably absent from many of his now-estranged wife’s social media posts. He last appeared on her feed in May.
“Thank you everyone who called, messaged and celebrated with me on my birthday 🥳 ♉️💗🎂💗. I appreciate you 🙏🏽 #celebrate #birthday #taurus #grateful #lovelife #thankyou,” Tiffany captioned a carousel of photos from her festivities, including a sweet video of David playfully poking her nose as they posed beside a tiered birthday cake.
Three months prior, the pair took a masked selfie amid the coronavirus pandemic. “Big thanks to everyone who supported our @davidortizfund event at #topgolftampa 🙏🏽 and Super congratulations to @charleswoodson on the #HOF 🙌🏽 #superbowl,” Tiffany wrote at the time.
The former first baseman cofounded the David Ortiz Children’s Fund with Tiffany in 2007, helping to provide “essential support for children in the Dominican Republic and in New England who cannot afford the critical cardiac services they need,” per the organization’s website.
Throughout their two decades together, David and Tiffany experienced plenty of ups and downs, including the three-time World Series champ’s June 2019 shooting in the Dominican Republic. After being “ambushed,” according to authorities, David underwent a six-hour operation and was later flown back to Boston to receive treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital.
At the time, Tiffany paid tribute to her then-husband on Father’s Day, writing via Instagram that the health scare gave their family “a new appreciation for life and an awareness in what truly matters.”
