Sophie Cunningham and Phoenix Suns Deny Unfounded Affair Claim in Lawsuit

Sophie Cunningham, a former player for the Phoenix Mercury, has joined the Phoenix Suns in denouncing a claim in a lawsuit that alleges CEO Josh Bartelstein had an affair with her. The Suns have issued a denial in a statement from their communications executive, Stacey Mitch, in response to a lawsuit filed by former Suns security director Gene Traylor. The recent reports concerning Josh Bartelstein and Sophie Cunningham are entirely false and morally reprehensible, the statement reads. The origins of these claims are clear, and the Suns will not let untrue gossip take their focus away from what is most important to them, which is basketball, their supportive team, and their fans. On Wednesday, Cunningham issued a separate statement on social media denouncing the "untrue and extremely hurtful" statements made by someone she does not know and has never met. She is deeply saddened by the recent false accusations made against her by Gene Traylor and will not let untrue gossip take her focus away from her passion for basketball. The lawsuit filed by Traylor last week alleges discrimination, harassment, and retaliation by the Suns. The claim of an affair between Bartelstein and Cunningham is mentioned in passing but is not the focus of the lawsuit. The lawsuit accuses the Suns of hiring vice president of security and risk management Cornelius Craig to get rid of Traylor, who was demoted from his role as director of safety, security, and risk management after he gave a presentation to management highlighting repeated alleged security lapses around the Suns and Mercury. The lawsuit cites a meeting between Traylor and Bartelstein in which Traylor allegedly told Bartelstein that Craig had been telling others that "Josh Bartelstein is f***ing Sophie Cunningham." That statement is the source of public claims that Bartelstein and Cunningham had an affair. Bartelstein is married and was Cunningham's professional superior as the CEO of both the Suns and Mercury. Bartelstein hasn't personally addressed the claim in public since it was published last week. The Suns have repeatedly accused attorney Sheree Wright, who represents the plaintiffs in four lawsuits that have been filed against the Suns since November by current and former employees, of "trying to extort" the franchise and called the allegations in the suit filed by Traylor "delusional." Wright has responded by saying she will respond in court where evidence, not headlines, decides the outcome.