June Baranco and Bryant Gumbel: Unpacking their tumultuous 28-year marriage
Although Bryant Gumbel and June Baranco were together for over two decades, their relationship was far from perfect due to his infidelity. According to the New York Post, June once shared in an exclusive chat that she opted to "pray for her marriage instead of seeking a divorce."
I mainly stayed because of my religious conviction and high tolerance for emotional abuse. Unfortunately, I nearly sacrificed my life for a man who never cared about me.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- June and Bryant exchanged nuptials in 1973 and finalised their divorce in 2001.
- Throughout their marriage, she repeatedly caught him cheating, but he would promise to be a better man.
- They had two children: daughter Jillian Beth Gumbel and son Bradley Christopher Gumbel.
- After the divorce, Bryant Gumbel married Hilary Quinlan in August 2002.
June met Bryant when she was a teenager
The pair met in Chicago in the late 1960s. They were introduced by June's friend, who was dating Bryant's brother then. In the interview, she shared her first impression of him, saying:
Gumbel was intelligent, self-assured, quick-witted and well-spoken. He was different from my ex-boyfriends; he had spark and charisma.
After Bryant graduated from college, he moved and rented an apartment in Manhattan, while she resided in Louisiana.
While Baranco recalls their early 70s as "magical", she constantly adjusted her schedule to accommodate him. A flight attendant, she would regularly travel to California, where Gumbel was a sportscaster at KNBC.
Source: Getty Images
Baranco once described her now-ex-husband as a serial adulterer
June and Bryant tied the knot on 1 December 1973 in Baton Rouge. The marriage was in its infancy when she found letters from his mistresses. In the beginning, Gumbel denied having affairs, but later, he just promised to change his ways every time he was caught.
The duo welcomed their son in 1979 and their daughter in 1983. However, even with the birth of their kids, Gumbel continued with his wandering ways, but June was hopeful he would change someday. June said:
I dreamed that our marriage would work; the kids would grow, and we would have a happy family.
She added:
I got married in a Catholic church; for better or worse, for richer, for poorer. I could not undo my vows.
Bryant Gumble left June after 23 years of marriage
On 28 June 1997, June confronted Bryant over a call she suspected was to his mistress. He barely said anything, packed his bags, and left her life forever.
Source: Getty Images
After his departure, Gumble allegedly cancelled Baranco's credit cards. Although the former journalist earned an estimated $600,000 monthly, June reportedly struggled to put food on the table for their kids. She revealed:
This man shot me through the heart; he does not care if we eat or not.
Baranco claimed she only received $250 monthly as an allowance and had to use her life savings to manage the family bills.
Insight into June and Bryant's messy divorce
The pair was embroiled in a 4-year divorce battle. As documented by ABC News, Baranco's lawyer, Barry Slotnick, threatened to provide evidence that Gumbel had been unfaithful from Day 1 if they went to trial.
During the divorce proceedings, the former sportscaster requested access to his matrimonial home, but June retaliated, saying she could not bear the thought of another woman in her house.
In August 2001, June and Bryant's divorce was finalised, with the former purportedly receiving their Westchester estate and fifty per cent of his estimated $20 million. Interestingly, Gumbel walked out of the court with a smile on his face and told the reporters, per the New York Post:
I am just happy to have my life back.
Source: Getty Images
Gumble remarried about a year after the divorce
Bryant Gumble and Hilary Quinlan (a former research assistant at Goldman Sachs) married in 2002 at the Breakers resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
About 20 guests, including the ex-journalist's then-best friend Matt Lauer, graced the private ceremony. In a shocking turn of events, Bryant's best man was his son with June.
FAQs
Gumble's ex-wife, June, has maintained a low profile since they finalised their divorce. Below are some frequently asked questions about the ex-pair:
How old is June Baranco?
June's exact birthdate remains unknown. However, she was allegedly 51 years old at the time of her divorce from Bryant in 2001. This places her birth year around 1950.
On the other hand, her ex-husband (77 as of 2025) was born on 29 September 1948 to Rhea Alice and Richard Dunbar Gumbel.
What is Bryant Gumbel's net worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Gumbel has an estimated net worth of $20 million. He has amassed this wealth from his illustrious media career. Bryant's salary at HBO, where he hosted Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel from 1995 to 2023, was reportedly $6 million annually.
Source: Getty Images
Is June Baranco married?
June was married to Bryant from 1973 to 2001. It is unclear if she remarried after the divorce, as she keeps details about her personal life, including her love life, private.
What happened to Bryant Gumbel?
On 20 October 2025, Bryant was purportedly rushed to the hospital due to a medical emergency. A family member later told TMZ that the retired sportscaster was "okay".
Wrapping up
Bryant Gumbel and June Baranco's decades-long marriage was marred by his endless affairs. From letters from his mistresses to controversial photos alongside different women, his behaviour was magazine fodder for years until he filed for divorce to marry a new wife.
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Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
