Kriti Mehrotra
Although Pete Rose needs no introduction, considering he is the best hitter the sport of baseball has ever seen, he was banned from the Major Leagues in 1989 for gambling on games. This much has actually even been explored in HBO’s ‘Charlie Hustle & The Matter of Pete Rose,’ where he himself details the rise and fall of his incredible playing career before things turned upside down. However, it has only made us all the more curious about his personal life, especially in terms of his marriages, since he admittedly was more than just a bit of a womanizer in his days.
Karolyn Englehardt Rose Now Leads a Quiet Life
It was in the summer of 1963 when Pete first came across Karolyn through a mutual friend on the horse race tracks in Cincinnati, Ohio, only for them to soon fall head over heels in love. They thus decided to tie the knot a little more than six months later, on January 25, 1964, shortly following which they welcomed two children together — Fawn Rose was born in 1964, followed by Pete Rose Jr. in 1969. But alas, little did any of them know that the athlete would soon begin cheating, the unremorseful nature of which led his wife to file for divorce, which was finalized for good a little more than 15 years later in 1980 — they shared custody.
Karolyn has since admitted that while she never begrudged Pete for his actions and that there is nothing to really forgive him for, she could not accept him bringing his girlfriends around in front of their children. “I didn’t divorce Pete because I didn’t love him,” she said. “I divorced Pete because I didn’t want my kids to say, ‘I guess we could (cheat on a spouse), Dad did it.’ There are some things that I’m bitter about. I was more upset with Pete bringing (then-girlfriend) Carol around my kids… I might sound bitter, but I’m only bitter with Pete the way he could have done better to his kids.”
As for Karolyn’s current standing, from what we can tell, she prefers to remain well away from the limelight these days so as to lead a normal life while still being based in Ohio. She apparently does have a partner now, with whom she has been involved for over three decades, all the while being heavily involved in her children’s plus grandchildren’s lives. They are her source of comfort, happiness, as well as peace, especially since she is now in her 80s and her physical health has trouble keeping up with her mental strength.
Pete Rose’s Second Wife Carol Woliung Leads a Quiet Life in California
While it’s unclear precisely when Carol first came across Pete, we do know they became involved in the late 1970s before ultimately tying the knot in a cozy ceremony in 1984. That’s the same year they welcomed their first child into this world, Tyler Rose, following which they welcomed a daughter named Carla Rose in 1989, a mere day before his lifetime ban from baseball was announced. But alas, despite both of their best efforts, even they could not make their relationship work, and he filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences in March 2011 — they have never elaborated on the reason.
However, it wasn’t until the late 2010s that Pete sought to finalize his divorce from Carol, stating he is in poor health but wishes to move on with his new partner by marrying her. According to court records, he also sought to acquire all memorabilia plus assets from before their marriage, attempted to block her from receiving any sort of spousal support, and refused to cover her legal fees. From what we can tell, their separation has still not been finalized, and Sherman Oaks, California, resident Carol has since chosen to remain far away from the spotlight so as to protect her privacy in every way.
Kiana Kim Has Been Pete Rose’s Partner For Over a Decade
It was while Carol and Pete first separated around the late 2000s that he began an open relationship with professional model Kiana, only for their bond to soon evolve into much more. “My girl has finally decided to try to shoot for Playboy, and they were kind enough to give her an opportunity to come to Houston for an interview, and we’re excited about that,” he said about her in 2009. Since then, this couple has gotten engaged (in 2011) as well as starred in TLC’s reality show ‘Pete Rose: Hits & Mrs’ (2013) along with her two children from a previous relationship.
As if that’s not enough, Kiana and Kim have recently even featured on a national Skechers commercial — which premiered during Super Bowl XLVIII — and have continued leading quite public lives. It’s evident they support one another in everything they do despite their 25-year age difference, which is why it appears as if they are in a happy, healthy relationship to this day. They do seemingly still plan on tying the knot, yet precisely when that’ll happen seems unclear at the moment — nevertheless, whatever the case may be, we wish them the very best for their future together.
Read More: Pete Rose’s Kids: Where Are They Now?
