Chicago White Sox pitcher Mike Clevinger dodged a question about his usage of Kanye West’s song “Gold Digger.”
Major League Baseball investigated Clevinger after Olivia Finestead, the mother of one of his kids, accused him of abusing her and their child in January. MLB chose not to suspend Clevinger, who walked out to “Gold Digger” in his home debut for the White Sox on Friday (April 14).
Clevinger didn’t explain why he used Kanye’s track after the game. It was speculated to be a jab at Finestead.
“Are you a music producer?” Clevinger responded when asked about the Ye song. “No? OK. Well if you have a baseball question, I’m here for you.”
Finestead claimed Clevinger strangled her and threw an iPad at her when she was pregnant. She also accused him of child abuse and drug use.
“You really deserve hell,” she wrote on Instagram. “I’ve kept quiet for almost a year and you continue to covertly abuse your infant, withhold ALL of her belongings, we have none of our stuff, still not even her birth certificate or her car seat attachment. He’s made sure to do everything he can to keep control.”
MLB opened an investigation into the allegations. The league announced it wouldn’t discipline Clevinger in March. He agreed to submit to evaluations by treatment boards for domestic violence and drug abuse.
“I am pleased that Major League Baseball has concluded its investigation,” Clevinger said in a statement. “I had nothing to hide and cooperated fully with MLB. This situation has been stressful for my family, and I thank them for their strength and support. I asked everyone not to rush to judgment until MLB’s investigation was concluded, and I appreciate everyone who had faith in me, including the White Sox organization and my teammates.”
Clevinger signed with the White Sox in late 2022.
