CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

A-Rod asked to cut child support confirms father of ex-wife Cynthia

The New York Daily News - 4/18/2018

April 18--John Scurtis, father to Alex Rodriguez's ex-wife Cynthia and the family patriarch, says the scandal-stained former Yankee slugger, who received a season-long PED suspension in 2014 because of his ties to baseball's Biogenesis doping scandal, has tried to reduce his child support payments for the couple's two daughters, Natasha and Ella, confirming a Daily News report from last week.

"My daughter Cynthia approached me to tell me that Alex's attorney sent a letter to Cynthia's attorney advising her he wanted to cut payments," Scurtis told The News. "Alex is claiming he is not making as much money now as he was in the past."

Rodriguez and his gal pal, singer and actress Jennifer Lopez, reportedly bought a $15 million Manhattan apartment recently, and A-Rod, who made $480 million playing baseball, was paid $21 million last year by the Yankees even though he didn't suit up for one inning. It was the final year of his $275 million contract, but the Bombers cut ties with him in 2016. He is currently an ESPN baseball analyst, and is still a Yankees adviser to GM Brian Cashman.

And now A-Rod's team seems to be raising the ante on the internecine battle. Scurtis said that he and Cynthia were served with subpoenas Friday. Both father and daughter reside in the Miami area. According to Scurtis, both have to appear April 25 at the Miami office of John Lukacs Sr., one of Rodriguez's attorneys. Scurtis said he and Cynthia have to produce text message communications dating back years.

"I have to give text messages going back to 2007. I don't know if I was born then," Scurtis said.

The News reviewed text exchanges between Cynthia and her younger brother, Constantine, who is involved in a years-long legal battle with A-Rod related to a real estate company the two men started in 2003. Lukacs Sr. is A-Rod's attorney in the civil matter.

"I'm just trying to defend my child support situation ... and it's terrible," Cynthia said in a recent text message to Constantine that The News reviewed. "I have an email from (Rodriguez) telling me that he's basically making me pay for not stopping you and (not) telling you that I hate you."

Rodriguez, 42, fired back at Cynthia and Constantine, saying in a report last week: "I have always paid far more than the maximum in child support and that will never change." A-Rod also characterized Constantine (who goes by Taki) as lazy in the report.

"Unfortunately, there are some people who would do anything for money, except work," said Rodriguez. A-Rod also said Taki's lawsuit is "frivolous" and that Scurtis has "gotten absolutely nowhere with it in court."

In reality, the explosive civil suit that Taki Scurtis filed in late 2014 in Florida state court has already survived A-Rod's motion to dismiss over a year ago. The suit accuses Rodriguez of breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and unjust enrichment, among other claims, but the most serious allegations involve mortgage and insurance fraud.

Taki Scurtis and Rodriguez started the real estate company, ACREI L.L.C., in 2003, but Taki Scurtis claims he was forced out of the business in 2008, right around the time Rodriguez and Cynthia were divorcing. That same year, 2008, Hurricane Ike struck the west coast of Florida and damaged properties owned by A-Rod's and Taki Scurtis' company, and the civil suit alleges the insurance and mortgage fraud took place then. Taki Scurtis is also claiming he's owed millions of dollars from the sale of Newport (the operating company within ACREI) properties, something A-Rod wasn't authorized to sell.

John Scurtis fumed to The News that his son Taki "built the real estate empire" that Taki and A-Rod started. John Scurtis added: "Taki's work ethic cannot be questioned."

According to John Scurtis, Lukacs Sr. approached him twice in the past to try and establish negotiations for a settlement between Rodriguez and Taki Scurtis in the civil case, but that the meetings never took place.

"Lukacs wanted to try and work out a settlement," said John Scurtis. "He asked to meet twice. But I never heard from him. I told him after the first time, 'Listen, John, you hurt me last time.' He asked a second time and again, I never heard from him. I think he told Alex (Rodriguez) and Alex put the slams on it probably. But I don't know."

Lukacs Sr. did not return an email and call for comment. Taki Scurtis' attorneys, Joel Denaro, Vince Duffy and Asela Lopez, declined comment.

John Scurtis said he holds no bitter feelings toward Rodriguez, and that he and his wife had a good relationship with A-Rod, even after Cynthia and the ex-Yankee divorced. But when Taki Scurtis filed the lawsuit, family came first for John Scurtis.

"He seems to have a vendetta," John Scurtis said of Rodriguez. "No one is able to question the integrity, morals and Christian values of our family. We can hold our heads high."

___

(c)2018 New York Daily News

Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.