Who is Cynthia Scurtis? Alex Rodriguez ex-wife details marital struggles

Before Alex Rodriguez became one of baseball’s most talked-about figures, he also shared a chaotic chapter of his life with Cynthia Scurtis. Us Weekly reported that the pair tied the knot in New York City in November 2002, years after meeting at a Miami gym. Cynthia Scurtis, a psychology graduate and former teacher, once admitted to Yes Network in 2008 that she didn’t realize who Alex was when they met.

“I didn’t grow up in a sports-oriented family. So, I wasn’t aware that you could have an entire livelihood off of a sport. So when they would say, ‘Oh, he plays baseball,’ I always think, ‘Oh, I wonder what else he does’ — like ‘that’s a nice hobby’ — but what does he really do?”

Cynthia Scurtis filed for divorce in July 2008, citing “extramarital affairs and other marital misconduct.” Despite the public attention, both denied rumors of infidelity, including speculation connecting Alex to Madonna and Cynthia to Lenny Kravitz. Over time, the former couple reconciled as co-parents, a dynamic highlighted in Cynthia Scurtis's participation in the 2025 documentary Alex vs. A-Rod, which looked back on the athlete’s career and personal journey.

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Cynthia Scurtis reflects on her marriage to Alex Rodriguez

In the newly released HBO documentary Alex vs. A-Rod, Cynthia Rodriguez (née Scurtis) reflected on how her former husband’s devotion to baseball often left little room for personal growth.

“I felt sorry for him. I did,”

In the first episode, which premiered Thursday, November 6, Cynthia Scurtis admitted,

“He was a sweet guy. He had a really big heart. But he was so stunted when it came to the natural development of a person. He was so entrenched in baseball. He was told that’s what he was going to do for so long, and it’s all he did.”

Cynthia Scurtis, who shares two daughters, Natasha and Ella, with Rodriguez, described how the athlete’s identity was inseparable from his sport.

“Alex is a creature of habit and baseball was all he did, if he wasn’t hitting, he was throwing. If he wasn’t throwing, he was running. If he wasn’t running, he was watching videos of different pitchers, studying. He was all in.” she shared.

She went on to reflect on how the intensity of his focus came at a personal cost.

“There was a lot of his life that he missed and a lot of stages that we go through as children into young adulthood that mold us and shape us, and he didn’t have those experiences,” Nicolas added.

According to Cynthia Scurtis, part of that pressure came from Rodriguez’s early responsibilities to his family.

“I could see where his family gave him the position of the head of the family at a very young age,” she explained.

Even after marriage, Scurtis recalled how her ex-husband carefully separated his two worlds.

“I didn’t really know A-Rod. I know Alex, A-Rod was like a fictitious thing that people created. It was a persona, it was a personality. For me, he was just Alex,” shared Cynthia Scurtis.

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Alex Rodriguez opens up about therapy, says he wants athletes to embrace getting help

Us Weekly reported that Alex Rodriguez, while known for his record-breaking baseball career, said he was equally proud of his efforts to promote mental health awareness among athletes.

“Just like most humans out there, everyone has certain obstacles in their life, right?”

Rodriguez told Us Weekly at the New York premiere of Alex vs. A-Rod.

“Some bigger than others, some more public than others, but I just encourage everyone out there that there’s a need for help. A lot of people can’t afford a therapist, but maybe there’s a good friend, maybe there’s a family member that you can unload on sometimes because you need a place to vent.”

Last month, during an appearance on the Throwbacks podcast with Matt Leinart and Jerry Ferrara, Rodriguez said, “therapy saved my life.” He contrasted today’s openness about therapy with the stigma that surrounded it early in his career.

“When I first started my career, [therapy] was a big no no in the locker room, But I think today, what I’m so proud of is that it’s actually celebrated. I hope young kids, the next generation watching this documentary, can not only avoid some of the mistakes that I made, but if they need help that is celebrated. You should go get help,” he shared.

The HBO documentary Alex vs. A-Rod chronicled the two sides of Rodriguez’s life. It explored both the athlete celebrated for his achievements and the man who faced scrutiny and a 211-game suspension in 2013 over allegations of performance-enhancing drug use. “A-Rod is a persona and Alex is a human being,” director and executive producer Gotham Chopra told Us Weekly.

“Especially now, as I’ve gotten to know him, Alex is a father, Alex is thoughtful. It’s because of ARod he became one of the greatest players of any generation. It’s also because of ARod that he sort of got into the trouble that he did. But I think Alex has a lot of perspective now. I think he got trapped by his fame.”