The Truth About Jalen Rose's Wife, Molly Qerim
ESPN's The Last Dance, a 10-part documentary about the career of Michael Jordan, has inspired widespread commentary from former NBA stars. One alum who has spoken out on the series is ESPN analyst Jalen Rose, who played for the NBA's Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Rappers, New York Knicks, and Phoenix Suns. Rose's comments (he had high praise for Jordan's performance during his infamous "flu game") has sparked renewed interest in his wife, Molly Qerim, who has anchored and moderated ESPN's First Take since 2015.
Born in New Haven, Conn., Qerim received her Bachelor of Arts in communication from the University of Connecticut and her master's degree in broadcast journalism from Quinnipiac University. While Qerim gained her start as an anchor and reporter for CBS Sports Network, she also hosted multiple programs for the NFL Network before making her way to the ESPN anchor desk, where she met Rose. The two got hitched in July 2018 during a private ceremony, as Page Six reported.
Want to know more about Rose's better half? We discuss Qerim's advocacy, professionalism, and incredible relationship with the NBA alum after the jump.
Molly Qerim handled LaVar Ball's sexist comment with grace and dignity
As a woman in a predominantly male industry, Molly Qerim has encountered her fair share of sexism. Just one example? During an on-air interview with LaVar Ball, Qerim responded with grace and dignity when the father of the New Orleans Pelicans' Lonzo Ball made a crude comment. As Qerim worked to guide the conversation between LaVar and co-hosts Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman, she interjected and said she wanted to "switch gears." LaVar, who was participating remotely, replied, "You can switch gears with me any time," per The Washington Post.
Qerim disregarded the comment and said, "Let's stay focused here." But later on, after subsequent banter led to an HR joke, Qerim quipped, "If anyone's calling HR today, it's me."
LaVar's comments quickly went viral and, although his representative Denise White, CEO of EAG Sports Management, said his comments weren't "intended or meant to be sexual in nature or flirtatious" and were "taken out of context and made into something it wasn't," LaVar was ultimately banned from ESPN. "LaVar Ball's comment to Molly Qerim Rose was completely inappropriate and we made him aware of that," an ESPN spokesperson told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Fellow sports journalist Jemele Hill praised Qerim's composure, as she tweeted, "Kudos to Molly Querim for the professional way she handled LaVar Ball after his inappropriate comment. Maybe ESPN will have finally learned its lesson about putting him on TV." Good job, Qerim!
Jalen Rose came to Molly Qerim's defense after encounter with LaVar Ball
After Molly Qerim's encounter with LaVar Ball, Jalen Rose came to his wife's defense after she faced backlash for her response. During an Instagram Live broadcast (as captured by Celebrity Life), Rose told his followers that, after the exchange, he attempted to contact Ball via text, but he "couldn't track him down."
Rose also defended Qerim against accusations of racism, as many critics claimed she'd singled out Ball because he's black and lobbied to have him banned from the network herself. "Y'all know she's married to a black husband, right? She's been doing this for 15 years," he explained. "She knows how to navigate. She knows how to take care of herself."
"Somebody pays her to talk about sports," Rose added. "She's a vet. If she felt some type of way about what he said, then she felt some type of way about what he said. And you know what? I'm riding with her."
Ultimately, Rose realized that outside opinions didn't matter in the end. "Regardless of where you stand — you can feel that what he said was inappropriate. You can feel that she overreacted," he said. "However you feel, you're entitled to your opinion. But you know what you're not allowed to do? Is tell her how to feel."
Molly Qerim spoke out about her endometriosis diagnosis to help others
Before marrying Jalen Rose, ESPN host Molly Qerim sat down with ABC's Amy Robach to share her endometriosis diagnosis with the Good Morning America audience. "If I can connect with some other people and help them feel like they're not alone, we can fight through this," Qerim said.
Endometriosis occurs when the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus, but for Qerim, the issue had spread to other organs.
"The endometriosis was not just in my reproductive organs, it was everywhere. It had all compiled into a cyst, which burst," she explained. "And then the toxins were all in my body." Doctors prescribed Lupron to ease her symptoms but, as Qerim noted, "It put my body into menopause." She subsequently turned to acupuncture, which she called "a saving grace."
Qerim also opened up about what it's like to work while dealing with a chronic illness, telling The Blossom, "When you're on morning television, people want to see happy, positive people, and my job is 24/7. So in my off-time, it became more about taking care of myself... There are times when I can't leave the house all weekend." She added, "It's the ebb and flow of having a chronic illness... it's kind of like your body is naturally keeping you in check at all times. It has almost become a second job."
Although it's difficult to discuss, Qerim's transparency could help others who are struggling.