Hernández announced the tragic news in a tribute on Instagram on Saturday, June 27

NEED TO KNOW

• Former MLB outfielder Gorkys Hernández announced that his wife, Deisy Tovar, died after becoming trapped in a hotel collapse caused by the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela
• Hernández shared an emotional Instagram tribute to Tovar, one day after asking the public not to spread unconfirmed information about her condition
• Hernández played six seasons in the majors with the Pirates, Marlins, Giants and Red Sox before retiring from the MLB

Former MLB player Gorkys Hernández's wife died in the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela.  

Hernández, 38, announced the news in a tribute to his late wife, Deisy Tovar, shared on Instagram on Saturday, June 27.

“You are, and always will be, the queen of my life — the most beautiful, kindest, and most precious woman, the best woman in the world,” Hernández wrote in the translated post.

“You were always the one who found a way to lift me up during my darkest moments. You were, and always will be, the most beautiful woman in my life. You will always be with me, every hour of every day,” he added.

View this post on Instagram

He continued: “Fly high, my princess, my queen. May God hold you in His glory. Guide me as I move forward and continue to care for our family.”

“I love you. I love you. Rest in peace, my darling,” Hernández added. “Give me strength, love of my life, because we had a mission together. Now I'm here to fulfill it for you. You taught me to be strong through every moment in life, even though it isn't easy. But this is how you wanted me to be, and this is how I will be.”

“My warrior, Deisy Maria Tovar de Hernandez,” he wrote at the end of the tribute.

Tovar was in the Hotel Eduard in La Guaira when the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck the country's capital, Caracas, on Wednesday evening, June 24. She and Hernández married in 2025, and she had a daughter from a previous relationship, according to the California Post.

The hotel, along with countless other structures in the area, collapsed as a result of the quakes, trapping people in the rubble.

Multiple local media outlets reported that Tovar was among those missing, while videos and a photo of Hernández beside the rubble circulated on social media.

On Friday, June 26, a day before Hernández's announcement regarding his wife's death, the athlete had asked the public for privacy in a translated post on his Instagram Stories, sharing that he had “not yet confirmed” whether Tovar had lost her life in the disaster.

“To everyone who has sent me messages of support, thank you. And I'm sorry I haven't been able to respond to everyone,” Hernández wrote in the message to his followers.

“We still have not confirmed my wife's condition. This is a very difficult time for me and my family. I only ask the media, please do not spread false information. Thank you very much. 💔,” he added.

Hernández played in the MLB from 2012 to 2019, according to MLB.com. During his six-season career, the former outfielder played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins, San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox.

The wife and daughter of former MLB player Álvaro Espinoza were also reported among the missing in the hotel collapse, per WorldBaseball.com.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The Venezuelan government has confirmed that the death toll from the earthquakes has surpassed 1,400, according to Reuters and The New York Times. More than 3,300 people were injured, per the BBC and Fox News.

Figures from the missing persons website Desaparecidos Terremoto Venezuela stated that more than 78,000 people had been reported missing as of June 27. More than 13,000 of these have since been located, leaving about 51,000 people unaccounted for.

Source link