- Diedre Pujols is the ex-wife of famous Albert Pujols, with whom she shared five children until he filed for divorce in April 2022
- As the founder of Open Gate and Strike Out Slavery, Albert Pujol’s ex-wife has worked with several organizations to help eradicate human trafficking and sexual exploitation
- The Mexican-American has undergone surgery for a brain tumor
Deidre Pujols has been married to baseball’s first baseman, Albert Pujols since 2000 until the athlete filed for divorce in April 2022. The Kansas-born is said to be part of the Pujols Family Foundation which has helped in serving the Down syndrome community and has also helped the less privileged living in the Dominican Republic.
Albert Pujols’s Ex-wife is also the founder of the Open Gate International nonprofit organization. As a baking enthusiast, Diedre has shared a couple of her treats and recipes with her followers on social media.
Deidre Pujols was Raised in Kansas
Albert Pujols’s wife was born Deidre Corona and raised in Roeland Park in Kansas City. Reports say she was born on June 1, 1976, to Annette and Michael Corona. Her mother is an Irish-American while her father is a Mexican-American. She has at least one brother, Justin. Regarding the year she was born, there are other sites that suggest she was born in 1977.
During her formative years, Deidre was reportedly a talented athlete. She participated in several sports like softball, football, and baseball while in high school. Unfortunately, she stopped due to an injury. Following her graduation from high school, she enrolled at Kansas City University, and while in college, she juggled between her studies and even several jobs.
Deidre Pujols and Albert Pujols Met in a Latin Dance Club
Albert Pujols was already playing baseball but still a senior when he met Deidre in Cashmere, a Latina dance club. He fell in love with her almost immediately and he had to lie to her about his age. At that time, Deidre was 21 years old while the MLB player was only 18.
Although Deidre could not speak Spanish and Albert only spoke little English, the pair exchanged numbers and started communicating almost immediately. They arranged their first date at the Cheesecake Factory within a couple of days after they met.
It was while they were on their first date that Deidre revealed to Albert that she had an infant daughter who had Down Syndrome. With that revelation, Deidre thought the athlete would diss her but he did not.
The pair dated for a while before they married on January 1, 2000. Soon after the wedding, Deidre’s then-husband got a contract with the Cardinals farm team in Peoria, Illinois in 2001.
Deidre Pujols and Albert Pujols Share Five Children
Following their marriage in 2000, Albert Pujols adopted Deidre’s daughter, Isabella. The latter was born in 1997. The couple’s first child, Albert AJ Pujols Jr., was born on January 10, 2001. Albert Pujols (AJ) is a graduate of Vanguard University of Southern California. While in college, he was part of the golf team.
Their second child, Sophia Pujols was born on November 5, 2005, while Ezra was born on February 5, 2010. Their youngest child, Esther Grace Pujols joined the family in September 2012.
Rumours about Deidre Pujols and Albert Pujols’s Divorce
According to TMZ, the couple allegedly separated in February 2022. Also, the report stated that the baseball player was the one who filed for divorce to end their 22-year-old marriage.
Following the filing of the divorce, Deidre allegedly filed another petition in Orange County in which she demanded that the former Los Angeles Angels star would have to pay her attorney’s fees as well s as monthly support for the kids. She also requested that the court should grant them both joint legal and physical custody of their three children that were still minors.
Nevertheless, Deidre and Albert have revealed that they are committed to supporting each other and raising their kids together.
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Here are some Thrilling Facts about Albert Pujol’s Ex-wife, Diedre Pujols
1. Albert Diedre’s Ex-wife Started the Pujols Family Foundation with Her Husband in 2005
From different reports, Diedre has served as the vice president of the Pujols Family Foundation and has worked with the foundation since its inception on May 5, 2005. The foundation has worked to promote awareness and also help the less privileged especially those with Down syndrome. Also, they have worked to promote the standard of living for impoverished people in the Dominican Republic by providing education, and medical relief for the people.
Also, she has used the platform to speak against generic testing that discriminates against children that have Down syndrome. Aside from advocating for people with down syndrome, Diedre is the CEO of Pujols Kitchen, which helps disadvantaged women in the Dominican Republic.
2. She Started the Battle Against Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation in 2017
According to reports, Diedre used to cook meals in a safe house for sex workers in Mexico City, by so doing, she met a lot of women on the streets including a 4-year-old girl who sold condoms while her mother slept with men for money in Cambodia.
She continued to observe how women were treated in several other places like Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America until she was pushed to make a move. The former wife of the Angels superstar decided to approach her ex-husband’s team, Angels to get involved in the fight.
With respect to that, the Angel Stadium hosted its first strike out Slavery event on September 16, 2017, to raise money and awareness in the battle against human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Diedre Pujols’ main aim is to stop traffickers, pimps, and other forces that use force to compel humans into having sex for money. In that regard, she has spearheaded organizations like Strike Out Slavery and Open Gate.
3. Her Husband Filed for Divorce Shortly after She was Diagnosed with a Brain Tumor
Diedre reportedly revealed on Instagram that a brain tumor was discovered in her brain in October 2020. In late March 2022, the mother of five revealed that she was preparing for surgery to remove the tumor.
She later took to social media to say that the surgery was successful however, it was done at the time her marriage was about to crash. The father of her children announced their divorce through his agent a couple of days after the surgery. The athlete was allegedly slammed by fans after he made the announcement.
4. Diedre Pujols’ First Son Albert Plays Golf
Her son Albert, is also a member of Pujol’s Family Foundation. Reports say he served as host for the Pujols Family Foundation Golf Clinic in Southern California.
The 25-year-old reportedly admires his father. Unlike his father, he plays golf. He has organized his own golf event to benefit kids with down syndrome.
5. Her Ex-husband is Said to be One of the Greatest Right-handed Hitters of All Time
Albert Pujols, 45, also called The Machine, is considered one of the greatest players of all time. The athlete is said to be second in major league history in total bases as one of the four players to amass over 6,000. He has been named the most feared hitter in baseball in a poll of all 30 MLB managers.
Some of his awards include:
- National League Most Valuable Player 3 2005, 2008, 2009
- National League Rookie of the Year 1 2001
- Pacific Coast League Postseason Most Valuable Player 1 2000
- Players Choice Award for Major League Player of the Year 3 2003, 2008
- Players Choice Award for Marvin Miller Man of the Year 1 2006
- Players Choice Award for National League Outstanding Player 3 2003
- Rawlings Gold Glove Award at first base 2 2006, 2010
- Roberto Clemente Award 1 2008
- The Sporting News Player of the Decade 1 2000−09
- The Sporting News Player of the Year 3 2003, 2008, 2009
- Sports Illustrated Player of the Decade
6. What is Diedre Pujol’s Net Worth?
It seems the former athlete’s wife is more focused on charity projects than having a career of her own. At the moment, it is only speculated that she has a net worth that is not below $500,000. However, her ex-husband, Albert Pujols is said to have a net worth that is speculated to be around $28 million.
The chunk of Diedre’s ex-husband’s money is from his career as a professional baseball player. When he was still with the Cardinals, he was earning about $14.5 million and at St. Louis, he earned about $100 million for seven years. The peak of his career was when he was earning over $28 million with the Angels. At that time, he reportedly earned an additional $7 million from endorsements. His contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim was worth $254 million which was considered the third highest contract in baseball history. From June 2017 to June 2018, Albert Pujols reportedly earned about $30 million from both salary and endorsements.
7. Where is Diedre Pujols Now?
At the time of this writing, Diedre and the father of her kids are yet to finalize their divorce. Also, she is said to be recuperating well following the brain tumor surgery she underwent.
Despite the challenges, the mother of five has continued to advocate for the rights of women that are exploited for sex. Thanks to her love for baking, Diedre has taken it upon herself to teach people through all the various causes she represents.
Having been married for over a decade, Diedre and her ex-husband have revealed they are ending their marriage due to irreconcilable differences. However, research has shown that about 60% to 80% of athletes tend to divorce on infidelity grounds. Whichever the case may be, it is expected that Diedre Pujols and her ex-husband would continue to work together not just as co-parents but also as board members of their family’s foundation.
