Tampa Bay Rays All-Star shortstop Wander Franco, 22, is in hot water for an alleged relationship with a minor in his native country of the Dominican Republic. New reports are also alleging to reveal the identity of his wife and children.
An investigation is being handled by a division specializing in minors and gender violence in the province of Peravia, according to a prosecutor in the Dominican Republic. Franco was born in Baní, the capital of the Peravia province.
Did Wander Franco Have Relations with a Minor?
The Rays and MLB are also investigating, partially from social media posts that created speculation about Franco. Per multiple reports, social media posts suggested Franco was in a relationship with a minor. Currently, none of the alleged posts are substantiated.
The Rays placed Franco on the restricted list on Monday, which will sideline him for at least six games. However, Franco doesn’t understand why people are in an uproar over him “running around with a minor.”
Wander Franco Speaks Out
“They say that I’m in public with a little girl, that I’m running around with a minor,” Franco said on his Instagram Live. “People don’t know what to do with their time. They don’t know what they’re talking about. That’s why I prefer to be on my side and not get involved with anybody.”
Is Wander Franco Married?
Franco’s marriage status was previously a mystery until the allegations of inappropriate relationship began dominating headlines. Naturally, reporters began digging. The Daily Mail revealed on Friday that Franco is married to a 21-year-old woman named Rachelly Paulino.
The couple who share two sons together, reportedly married after Franco’s 2021 season, according to the report.
While this adds a bit more mystery to the investigation as Franco attempts to downplay the accusations, the Dominican authorities are taking the case seriously.
Dominican prosecutor Ángel Darío Tejeda Fabal said that the investigation into Franco is open under The National Agency for Boys, Girls, Adolescents and Family and Gender Violence Unit. Per The Associated Press, Fabal claims the investigation is in its early stages but will be chaired by a judge who is a specialist on child abuse cases.
