Just a few days ago, Vanessa Morgan, known to many for playing the tough but sweet Toni Topaz on The CW’s Riverdale, announced that she was expecting a baby boy. Now, another surprising development has followed the news, as Morgan’s husband, Chicago White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech, has reportedly filed for divorce from the actress months after their wedding.
Per The Chicago Tribune, Michael Kopech filed for divorce from Vanessa Morgan Mziray (as she was identified in the citation) on June 19. The trade reports that Kopech filed the case in northeast Texas’ Morris County, his hometown. The case was reportedly sealed on Monday and a hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Vanessa Morgan and Michael Kopech originally began dating back in 2018 following Kopech’s breakup with Brielle Biermann and became engaged in July 2019. The two tied the knot back in January during an extravagant ceremony in Florida, where several of Morgan’s Riverdale co-stars were in attendance.
Kopech was noticeably absent when Morgan revealed that she was pregnant with a baby boy that’s due in January. A rep for Morgan has, however, confirmed that Kopech is the father of the child. You can check out her gender reveal video from Instagram down below:
Michael Kopech had recently opted not to participate in the shortened 2020 MLB season, citing “personal reasons” and, before that, he had opted out of workouts to tend to a personal matter. At this time, outlets have been unable to reach Kopech for comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, Vanessa Morgan is currently set to return for the upcoming fifth season of Riverdale, which is expected to be ramping up production soon ahead of its tentative return in January 2021. As of this writing, there’s been no indication as to how the writing staff plans to address her pregnancy. Although, with the show reportedly jumping a few years into the future during Season 5, an opportunity may present itself. One thing that can be said is that special precautions will likely have to be taken for Morgan, since TV sets are still working under specific COVID-19 guidelines as they restart production.
Morgan and Kopech’s divorce comes on the heels of a few other high-profile divorces among TV stars. Talk show host and reality TV judge Kelly Clarkson announced that she’s divorcing her husband, Brandon Blackstock, after seven years of marriage. Despite the circumstances, the two still seem to be maintaining a somewhat positive relationship. The Orville’s Adrianne Palicki also filed for divorce from husband and co-star Scott Grimes.
It goes without saying that Vanessa Morgan and Michael Kopech’s divorce does come as a surprise, especially considering the two were just married earlier this year and are now expecting a child. Still, barring any change, the two seem to be set on moving forward with the divorce proceedings.
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