NEWSESPN's Laura Rutledge Admits to Using Fake Account to Post 'Positive Things' About MLB Husband
ESPN host Laura Rutledge isn't shy about defending her man and admitted to creating a burner account to back up her former MLB husband, Josh Rutledge.
Sept. 4 2025, Published 7:29 p.m. ET
ESPN personality Laura Rutledge isn’t shy about defending her man online – in fact, she admitted to creating a burner account to back up her former MLB husband, Josh Rutledge.
“This is a true story,” Laura, 36, recalled during an appearance on The Athletic’s “Marchand Sports Media” podcast. “I actually think this Twitter or X handle might still exist, but when he was with the Angels. I made a fake Twitter, which I’m admitting this, OK, I know this was wrong. I’m not doing it ever since, but this was a one-time thing.”
Laura Rutledge Admitted to Using a Fake Account
Laura Rutledge is an ESPN host married to a former MLB player.
The NFL Live host joked that the username was “like BillyHalo76 or something,” and she only used it to post “positive things about Josh Rutledge.”
“Then the occasional Mike Trout tweet, because I was like, ‘Shoot, someone is going to figure this out,’” she added. “I don’t think Josh knows this. If he watches this, he’s going to be really mad at me.”
Laura Rutledge Used Account to Defend Husband
Laura Rutledge used the fake account to defend her husband, Josh Rutledge.
Laura also recalled using the account to defend her man when social media users shared their harsh criticism of his performance.
“So if anyone had said something negative about him, I would find them and then BillyHalo would be like, ‘You’re wrong,’ and back it up with stats,” she joked.
Josh, 36, started his career with the Colorado Rockies in 2012. He was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in 2014, the same year he and Laura tied the knot. His career there was short-lived, being quickly traded to the Boston Red Sox. After failing to make the Majors on a minor league contract, he retired in 2018.
- Bill Belichick's Girlfriend Jordon Hudson Asked UNC to Filter 'Predator' Comments: Report
- Bill Belichick to Sideline Girlfriend Jordon Hudson as His PR Manager and Hire Someone New After Her 'Alarming' Interview Behavior: Sources
- Patrick Mahomes' Wife Admits She Used To Get 'Extremely Annoyed' When Women Flirt With The NFL Star: 'It's Sad & Disrespectful'
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Laura Rutledge Struggled With Fan Criticism
Laura Rutledge and Josh Rutledge share two children.
Josh and Laura became parents for the first time one year later. The pair later welcomed baby No. 2, a son named Jack, in 2023.
Later in the interview, Laura recalled times when she was forced to face fan criticism in person during her husband’s professional career.
Laura Rutledge Is An ESPN Personality
Laura Rutledge hosts NFL Live and on the SEC network.
“I really struggled with it,” she recounted. “There were times when he played for the Red Sox … they had him at third base, and he hadn’t played third base since middle school. He barely played third base. And he’s at the hot corner and they’re in Fenway, he has a couple of errors in a game and people are booing him and I’m like, ‘Shut up!’”
Laura has worked with ESPN as a reporter since 2014, currently appearing on the Monday Night Football broadcast opposite Lisa Salters. In addition, she hosts NFL Live and she's a host on the SEC network.
