11/05/24
November 15, 2010
Steve Nash Announces Birth, Divorce: A day after the birth of his son Matteo, Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash has announced that he and wife Alejandra Amarilla are getting a divorce, according to a statement he issued to Life & Style magazine. "[T]his is a bittersweet moment for my wife and I; after five years, we are now in the process of dissolving our marriage. This will be my only statement on this."
posted by rcade to basketball at 08:42 AM - 31 comments
Anyone know why Nash felt like he had to make a public statement to Life & Style magazine?
Not knowing the circumstances, it seems pretty amazing to me that he would announce a divorce a day after a birth and make himself look like the world's worst father and husband. I'm thinking I wait a month or two on that press release.
My favorite basketball players -- Nash and Dirk Nowitzki -- have completely wheels-off personal lives.
posted by rcade at 09:42 AM on November 15, 2010
Well, to be fair, Steve Nash *is* Canadian. They just do things differently up there, so let's not be in such a rush to condemn the man for something that is probably quite commonplace where he is from.
posted by NoMich at 10:27 AM on November 15, 2010
Is it some old-school thing to ensure the kid isn't born a bastard?
posted by yerfatma at 10:27 AM on November 15, 2010
The timing of this brings two words to mind: Paternity test?
posted by graymatters at 11:15 AM on November 15, 2010
Exclusive statement to Life & Style magazine??
That just seems so wrong to me.
As to the timing, I'm no divorce lawyer, but it seems to be logical that the mother may have insisted on a date postpartum to ensure support rights. Or, perhaps he did to ensure visitation rights. Either way, poor timing and the public statement is in poor taste.
posted by dviking at 11:43 AM on November 15, 2010
Is it some old-school thing to ensure the kid isn't born a bastard?
Here in Ohio you can not divorce a pregnant woman. Maybe that law is also in effect where he lives.
Yeah, my respect for him dropped a few notches.
posted by steelergirl at 12:17 PM on November 15, 2010
If they filed for divorce it's a matter of public record so it was going to come up at some point anyway. This way it isn't news and it decreases the amount of media prying he and his soon to be ex-wife have to deal with.
posted by apoch at 12:36 PM on November 15, 2010
Wow. This guy used to be one of my favorite players. No more.
But I will think of him every time I have to get up at 2 AM to take care of my seven month old.
Stay Classy, Steve!
posted by cjets at 12:49 PM on November 15, 2010
Apoch,
it's a good point. It does seem odd to announce both events so close together. Strikes many as unsavory probably. I think the proximity of the two events is what people find distasteful, not necessarily that the impending divorce.
posted by brainofdtrain at 01:01 PM on November 15, 2010
If they filed for divorce it's a matter of public record so it was going to come up at some point anyway.
True, but he couldn't have announced it at a worse possible time. Whatever is going on there, it has to be a big mess.
posted by rcade at 02:07 PM on November 15, 2010
Maybe Steve's suffering from postpartum depression.
posted by dyams at 02:31 PM on November 15, 2010
The postpartum depression certainly isn't affecting his play. The Suns shot out of their minds last night (20 for 30 behind the arc at one point before finishing 22 for 40) in beating the Lakers in LA.
posted by sbacharach at 03:17 PM on November 15, 2010
Why are people assuming that he's the one that wanted the divorce and/or chose the timing of the announcement? It seems a bit premature to call him a bad father or classless if it was the mother who wanted to separate.
posted by thewittyname at 03:47 PM on November 15, 2010
It seems a bit premature to call him a bad father or classless if it was the mother who wanted to separate.
But he's the one announcing it and presumably picking the time to make the announcement. Certainly does not make him a bad father, but might be considered of questionable class.
posted by graymatters at 03:58 PM on November 15, 2010
He knows it will come out eventually, so if his spouse is the one who wants the split, he would probably rather come off bad now but get to offer his perspective 1st, instead of waiting & having his spouse paint him as a total a-hole (rightly or wrongly). The 2nd option is probably a lot harder one to come back from perception wise. If your ex is on the cover of Us Weekly, & you've said nothing prior, you are screwed, period.
The reality is that 99.99% of America have no idea why they are splitting, & why he chose now to make it public. Most of us, including myself, can't imagine why he would go this route, but at the same time most of us cannot imagine what it is like to have his level of financial success & (as far as NBA players go) cultural influence. It might be best to not presume anything with a great degree of certainty.
For me, given every other public statement he's made, including actually voicing some convictions that were controversial, & the amount of crap he could've talked about Shaq & other athetes in his career that he didn't, I'm inclined to think he had a good reason for handling it the way he did. For me at least, the guy's built up some credibility.
posted by brainofdtrain at 06:05 PM on November 15, 2010
Good dad, bad dad; good mom, bad mom. The only thing that really matters is it's another child coming into the world without a full-time parent. It's sad, regardless of who it happens to, and it's really sad how common it is these days.
posted by dyams at 07:17 PM on November 15, 2010
"[T]his is a bittersweet moment for my wife and I; after five years, we are now in the process of dissolving our marriage. This will be my only statement on this."
Translation from Canadien: "No matter what you hear about my wife having a baby, girls, the Nash is open for business."
posted by graymatters at 07:39 PM on November 15, 2010
Translation from Canadien: "No matter what you hear about my wife having a baby, girls, the Nash is open for business."
You want the kid from the Nash? Come up and take him from the Nash! (Words NSFW).
So, will "Who wants to sex the Nash" now enter our lexicon? One can only hope.
posted by Bonkers at 10:17 PM on November 15, 2010
Steve Nash has absolutely NO class at all. He came to the US from Canada and has become very wealthy and successful. Does he show any gratitude for having the opportunity to achieve this in the US. The answer is NO. All he is done is trash the US and say how much better Canada is. If he believes that then he should get out of our great country.
posted by JohnSoCal at 11:06 AM on November 16, 2010
Nash bashed the U.S.? When, exactly?
posted by rcade at 11:38 AM on November 16, 2010
I'd like to echo the request for a cite on Nash bashing the US. That's news to me.
Something is weird here. On one hand Nash just made what looks like a hugely insensitive announcement. On the other hand a lot of his charity work is child-focused and he has proven in the past to be both articulate and reasoning; I find it hard to believe he didn't understand how crappy this would look. Even if he's a complete amoral bastard that puts up a good front I'd expect him to pick a more politic time to announce this unless there is something else driving the timing.
posted by deflated at 11:57 AM on November 16, 2010
I've also never heard Nash bash the US, or speak badly about anyone really. His public image has been golden up to the news of his divorce.
I see no fault in a Canadian considering his country great.
posted by cixelsyd at 12:00 PM on November 16, 2010
Nash bashed the U.S.? When, exactly?
Not the U.S. in general, but one of the states specifically.
Nash did speak out against the Arizona immigration law.
posted by grum@work at 01:18 PM on November 16, 2010
Something is weird here. On one hand Nash just made what looks like a hugely insensitive announcement.
I think it's a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't situation for him.
If we go with the assumption that the divorce was going to happen no matter what, then there are really only 5 options:
1) Announce divorce early in the pregnancy.
He's gonna look like a dick for doing that.
2) Announce divorce late in the pregnancy.
He's gonna look like a dick for doing that.
3) Announce divorce on day of pregnancy.
He's gonna look like a dick for doing that.
4) Announce divorce soon after day of birth.
He's gonna look like a dick for doing that.
5) Announce divorce well after birth (but within a year).
Not so bad, but then you've got to sit on this news (and the feelings of living a lie because of it) for an extended period of time.
The article mentioned they'd be separated for a few months already.
I guess announcing it on the day of the birth gets it out of the way (since both parties would agree to it), he takes the heat sooner than later, and it makes it pretty obvious to everyone that both parties have thought about the divorce and that it isn't a rash decision.
posted by grum@work at 01:23 PM on November 16, 2010
I'm not buying that, Grum. Option 5 is so much easier on Nash's reputation than options 1-4 that he looks like an imbecile for not choosing it. There's something going on here we don't know about, and I'm guessing it involves legal strategy.
posted by rcade at 01:43 PM on November 16, 2010
He's gonna look like a dick for doing that.
Maybe he is just a dick. In fact, I can't think of a reason why he isn't a dick.
If your wife just had a baby, I think it is incumbent upon you to do everything possible to save the marriage for the kids....unless she is abusive. And if she is, then he should be trying to get custody of his kids immediately again, for the kids.
And if they did get separated a few months ago, how do you find yourself separating from a pregnant wife? This whole thing sounds like a Jerry Springer show.
If this is a legal strategy, all I can say is that he must have Roger Clemens' attorneys.
posted by cjets at 04:21 PM on November 16, 2010
My suspicion, is paternity issues. I was trying to think why I would divorce any woman that just had a child of mine who I have been married to for five years. and I can't. Typically no matter how much trouble a couple is having, the birth of a child will usually cause even a troubled marriage to try to work things out for the sake of the child. Not that that would keep things together for long but seriously who makes a decision like this the day or week the kid is born. Speculation regarding the situation is silly but I imagine he goes into the delivery room and the kid is a different color and looks remarkably like one of his team mates, then this makes perfect sense. Otherwise I can't imagine a situation that justifies this timing.
posted by Atheist at 04:27 PM on November 16, 2010
I guess that is option/situation # 6 by Atheist. Then he wouldn't be a complete dick for doing it. But that would be a huge WOW! In all he seems like a pretty solid guy throughout his career.
posted by gfinsf at 05:42 AM on November 17, 2010
Nash bashed the U.S.? When, exactly?
I'm assuming that's in reference to his anti-war stand. Totally un-American to voice one's opinion.
Word on the street is that Dirk's ex-girlfriend is the father of the child.
posted by yerfatma at 07:57 AM on November 17, 2010
Word on the street is that Dirk's ex-girlfriend is the father of the child.
Now that would be something!!
posted by gfinsf at 09:39 AM on November 17, 2010
Happy birthday! Btw, as of tomorrow, I'll only be seeing you every other weekend and Wednesday evenings from 6-8. How cool is that!