Dr. Karen Luise, Chipper Jones' first wife, speaks out about his book

ATLANTA — For years after the painful end of her first marriage to longtime Atlanta Braves star Chipper Jones, Dr. Karin Luise kept her counsel, never talking publicly.

Following the publication of his new memoir, "Ballplayer," in which Jones writes about his and Karin's marriage, and his extramarital affairs that ended it, Luise has decided to speak out.

The AJC, which has run excerpts from "Ballplayer," and is co-authored by former AJC sports writer Caroll Rogers Walton, invited Luise to share her thoughts.

“After much prayer and consideration, I decided to use my voice today,” Luise said.

“This was a huge, vulnerable step for me after keeping so many secrets for so long.”

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In short, she says Chipper didn’t portray things entirely accurately, but she wishes him well anyway.

“It is deeply troubling to me that the stories in this book regarding my relationships with Chipper have been twisted and filled with hurtful inaccuracies and convenient omissions to benefit the author,” said Luise.

Luise is co-author of the "The Fatherless Daughter Project: Understanding Our Losses and Reclaiming Our Lives. A speaker and integrative therapist, she discusses topics such as holistic well being and living with freedom and joy on "The Dr. Karin Show." 

“I was forced into a gag order years ago to protect Chipper, and it is not my intent to go back and unearth such painful specifics now that I have found healing,” she said.

“God knows the truth, and that is all that matters.”

A mother of three, Luise also hosts podcasts on topics such as resilience and spirituality at The Lighter Side Network.

She has written for The Huffington Post and been featured by media outlets including Redbook, The Jenny McCarthy Show, Huffington Post Live, the AJC, FoxNews, CNN.com, the Examiner and OMRadio.

“So, at this time, I have chosen not to engage in a legal or personal battle with the authors,” she continued. “I have moved on with my life and do not intend on ruining the image Chipper has created for himself.

“I have instead turned my pain into purpose and committed my life to helping others as a therapist, author and inspirational speaker.

“It is because of experiences like this that I am focused on helping others recover and become empowered when they are abused, belittled and silenced by people in perceived positions of power. The world needs more healing and positive energy in it, and that is where I prefer to remain.

“I wish Chipper and his family nothing but the best and hope he can move on with his life.”

Cox Media Group