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The Phoenix Suns and Mercury fired back at an accusation in a recent lawsuit that claimed the franchises’ CEO Josh Bartelstein was having an affair with WNBA player Sophie Cunningham.
The accusation surfaced in a lawsuit from former employee Gene Traylor against Suns Legacy Partners, LLC. The lawsuit was publicized last week, but one detail came to light during the week.
Traylor said in the lawsuit he met with Josh Bartelstein, who is married, and told him that Cornelius Craig, the teams’ vice president of security of security and risk management, had been going around telling people that Bartelstein was having an affair with Cunningham.
“When Bartelstein asked Plaintiff to reveal what Craig was saying, Plaintiff explained that Craig had been telling others, ‘Josh Bartelstein is f—–g Sophie Cunningham,’” the lawsuit filed in Arizona District Court read. “Additionally, Plaintiff requested that Bartelstein speak with the security team about Craig’s behavior.”
The Suns responded in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“The recent reports concerning Josh Bartelstein and Sophie Cunningham are entirely false and morally reprehensible. Let’s be absolutely clear about the origin of these claims,” Suns senior vice president of communications Stacey Mitch said.
“Attorney Sheree Wright, a personal injury and immigration lawyer, currently serving a two year probation with the Arizona State Bar for violating the rules of professional conduct, sees an opportunity because of the reports about previous ownership. Ms. Wright has now filed four separate lawsuits against the organization, seeking over $140 million dollars in compensation. To date, her cases have been dismissed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Arizona Civil Rights Division or voluntarily withdrawn.
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“She continues to insert salacious lies and fabrications into her complaints—knowing that the media may report them as fact, as happened yesterday—she hopes to coerce the Phoenix Suns into settling. Sheree Wright will not extort our organization and never see a single dollar.
“We will pursue all available legal avenues and hold those accountable for participating in the spread of misleading and false narratives.”
Wright is one of the attorneys representing Traylor in the case.
Traylor, the team’s former director of safety, security and risk management, filed a lawsuit against Suns Legacy Partners, LLC, accusing the company of discrimination, harassment and retaliation. He also alleged that the team retaliated against him after he reported weapons breaches.
The Suns called the allegations Taylor made against the franchise “delusional and categorically false.”
“Guest safety is our top priority,” a Suns spokeswoman told ESPN last week. “We continue to meet and exceed safety expectations. We regularly conduct security tests, which is standard across the industry. We have used these proactive measures to ensure we are operating at the highest level of safety and preparedness.”
Fox News Digital reached out to a Cunningham rep for comment.
She was traded to the Fever from the Mercury in the offseason. She signed an extension with the Mercury before being traded and called Phoenix her “home away from home.”
Cunningham sat out of Saturday’s game against the Chicago Sky with an ankle injury.
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