Who Is Kevin Plank? New Details About The Under Armour CEO — And His Rumored Affair
He was probed about using company money for the affair.
Instagram Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank is making headlines for an alleged affair with MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle.
A Wall Street Journal report published Thursday detailed the "unusual" relationship between Plank, 46, and the news host, including how he was reportedly asked if he used company money for the affair. The article by Khadeeja Safdar, headlined, “Meet Under Armour CEO’s Unusual Adviser: An MSNBC Anchor,” dove into Ruhle's "unusual and problematic" involvement in the company as told by Under Armour employees.
So who is Kevin Plank? Here's what we know so far about Plank and his alleged romantic relationship with Ruhle.
1. He's married.
Plank has been married to Desiree Jacqueline Guerzon since 2003. They live with their two children in a $4 million home just outside of Baltimore, where Under Armour is based.
Ruhle is also married. She is the wife of Andy Hubbard, a co-CEO at the hedge fund HausMart.
2. Ruhle advised Plank on many issues.
"Ms. Ruhle has traveled with Mr. Plank and Under Armour staff on his private jet, they said, and given the CEO her input on a range of business matters," The Journal reported. Some employees even claimed Ruhle's input affected the company more than its own employees.
“She also gave advice on how he should engage with President Trump in 2017 that was at odds with some executives who urged Mr. Plank to keep his distance,” The Journal reported. During a bout of criticism over a pair of Under Armour shoes, employees claim they were told by the company to not respond to backlash on social media until Ruhle spoke about the sneakers on her segment, which the company denied.
"To suggest that we waited to respond for a particular reporter is ridiculous," Under Armour's senior vice president of communications Kelley McCormick told the Journal. "We wasted no time in defending our brand."
McCormick also said that it was "absurd" to suggest Plank "uniquely listens to any one individual."
3. Many believe the two were romantically involved.
According to the Wall Street Journal, emails presented to the Under Armour's board last year proved Plank and Ruhle had a relationship that extended past business, but it is unclear if they were ever questioned about it after Plank said he had never used company money to support the relationship.
"Former and current executives said Mr. Plank's use of the jet and his relationship with Ms. Ruhle were among the many ways the CEO blurred the lines between his personal activities and Under Armour," The Journal reported. Despite hauling her around on a private jet, Plank said any money spent on Ruhle came out of his own pocket.
"Ms. Ruhle’s involvement at the Baltimore company was unusual and problematic, these people said, and left employees unsure how to handle her feedback because many people believed she was romantically involved with Mr. Plank," according to The Journal. Neither Plank nor Ruhle has addressed the rumors and it is unclear if they have affected their marriages.
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4. Under Armour denied the rumored affair.
McCormick denied the CEO and news host were anything more than companions.
"Mr. Plank and Ms. Ruhle are friends," she said.
5. Others have called the allegations lies.
Thomas Farley defended Ruhle on Twitter, saying he has sought advice from her on multiple occasions over the last 201 years and called the WSJ's "tabloid" story "sexist."
"I have known @sruhle for 10 years. This is a total hit job and completely unfair," William Cohan tweeted in response to Farley. "She loves her family more than anything. Where is the editorial control on suggesting innuendo without any evidence?"
6. His mother was a Maryland mayor.
Plank's mother, Jayne Plank, was the first female mayor of Kensington, MD. She juggled the position and raising five boys and held her status as mayor for four terms.
Sarah Gangraw writes about all things news, entertainment and crime. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.