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Trailblazing Sportscaster Or Controversial Figure?

By 1998, Bryant Gumbel's relationship with his wife, June, had deteriorated to such an extent that despite her devout Catholic faith, she decided the annulment of their marriage was not sufficient. So, after filing for permanent separation earlier in the year, June began to seriously contemplate divorce. Her chief complaint was simple; she claimed that he was a "serial adulterer," and to make matters worse, Bryant went to live with his girlfriend, Hilary Quinlan, leaving behind his family with only $250 a month to survive on (via People).

During the following divorce proceedings, Bryant seemed to have no shame, for June revealed that he had asked the judge for the right to share his home with his soon-to-be ex-wife and even bring over Quinlan as well. In response to the outrageous idea, June told the New York Post, "Could you imagine, her in my bed, her in my bathtub? My soul is in that house." After the couple's divorce was finalized in 2001, June not only got to keep the house, but she also received about half of the estimated $20 million that Bryant was worth.

Upon leaving the courtroom, Bryant was smiling and stated, "I'm just happy to have my life back," though he later addressed the concern over how the entire affair had affected his career. When interviewed by Barbara Walters, he said, "I'm sure for some women it was a very big deal. I'm sure for others it was just a passing thing. But there was no way I could change that. We live a public life, and we live a private life. And if they collide, they collide" (via The Standard-Times).

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