Wander Franco’s wife has been revealed for the first time as the Rays star faces allegations of improper relationships with multiple underage women.
Franco, 22, has reportedly never mentioned his wife by name, but The Daily Mail revealed on Friday that he’s married to 21-year-old Rachelly Paulino, his childhood sweetheart from the Dominican Republic
The couple married after the 2021 season and share two sons together, according to the report.
Franco and Paulino’s current standing with one another is currently unclear amid the new accusations facing the former.
An All-Star with the Rays in his third season in MLB this year, Franco was placed on the restricted list and is taking a leave from the team as the league investigates concerning social media posts surrounding the shortstop that arose last week as well as subsequent allegations.
The posts, which reportedly went viral on X (formerly known as Twitter) before apparently being deleted, alleged that Franco was involved in an improper relationship with a minor.
A second person — a 17-year-old girl — reportedly filed a complaint against Franco in the Dominican Republic, according to Dominican newspaper Diario Libre.
In addition to MLB, the Dominican Republic attorney general’s office told the Associated Press that it was investigating the matter.
“We support any steps taken by the league to better understand the situation,” the Rays said in a statement after Franco was placed on the restricted list. “Out of respect for all parties involved, we have no further comments at this time.”
On Thursday, a shocking report emerged from z101 Digital reporter Hector Gomez that Franco is “very unlikely” to play in MLB again.
Though Franco had never previously mentioned Paulino’s name, he has on multiple occasions spoken about his first son named after himself, Wander Samuel Franco Jr., who was born in 2018, per the report.
Franco and Paulino reportedly welcomed another son in 2022 and bought a new house worth $1.55 million in Tampa this past May.
They reportedly both grew up in Bani, Dominican Republic, and have been linked together as early as 2016, when Franco’s mother Nancy Aybar wished Paulino a happy 15th birthday in a Facebook post and referred to her as her “daughter-in-law.”
“Today is the birthday of a very special person for me, she is Rachely Paulino my love, may God pour out many blessings on you, papa, and may make you a good woman and may he guide you on the right path,” Aybvar captioned the post. “Congratulations, my daughter-in-law.”
On Sunday, Franco appeared to deny the allegations in a video he recorded on Instagram Live, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
“They say that I’m in public with a little girl, that I’m running around with a minor,” Franco said in Spanish in the video. “People don’t know what to do with their time. They don’t know what they’re talking about.
“That’s why I prefer to be on my side and not get involved with anybody.”
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