The San Francisco 49ers should be talking about another Super Bowl run after going 12-5 last season. Instead, their owner is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Just weeks before the 2026 season, Jed York was arrested in Ohio on suspicion of engaging in prostitution, dragging one of the NFL’s biggest franchises into an ugly off-field mess. And as the arrest put York under a microscope, another part of his personal life surfaced too, with divorce proceedings already underway months before the scandal broke.

According to court records, York filed for divorce from his wife of more than 15 years, Danielle Belluomini, in May. There have reportedly been some irreconcilable differences, according to Santa Clara Superior Court documents obtained by the Chronicle. The couple has two sons, ages 13 and 10, and York is seeking joint legal and physical custody of them.

Unlike York, Belluomini has largely stayed out of the public eye, appearing mostly at official 49ers events. She also keeps her Instagram private and has not been active on X in roughly five years.

York and Belluomini tied the knot on July 24, 2011. They began dating when she was a sixth-grade science teacher in San Francisco public school.

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The details about his marital life came into the spotlight after he was arrested at 9:35 a.m. on August 23, at a mobile home park near the Pennsylvania border. 

According to an affidavit cited by the San Francisco Chronicle, York responded to an online prostitution advertisement and arranged a $140 sexual encounter. He was arrested after arriving at a mobile home park in East Palestine, Ohio, during a sting operation involving the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force.

York was arrested Sunday morning in East Palestine, Ohio, and released on $5,000 bail. He was initially charged with engaging in prostitution, but that charge was later reduced to disorderly conduct. He also faced a separate misdemeanor charge of possessing criminal tools for allegedly using his phone to arrange the encounter.

York pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools, receiving one-day sentences on both charges to be served concurrently. He was credited for the day he had already spent in custody, fined $1,150, and the $160 seized during the arrest was forfeited to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force. His cellphone was returned, and AP reported that he completed an online course. Prosecutor Vito Abruzzino said cases like these often end in plea agreements after factors such as the evidence, criminal history, and circumstances of the case are considered.

“Each case is looked at individually and for specific facts of the conduct, what evidence the police provide, and input from the arresting officer.” Vito Abruzzino said. “You also have to factor in the criminal history of the defendant, and whether or not they have committed these types of offenses in the past, and importantly, what the judges will allow.”

The news likely caught 49ers fans off guard, especially given how long York has been tied to the franchise. He joined the organization in 2005 and took over day-to-day control in 2008. York is the oldest child of 49ers co-chairs Denise DeBartolo York and John York, and the nephew of former 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr.

York joined the 49ers in 2005 after graduating from Notre Dame with degrees in finance and history. Three years later, at just 28, he became the team’s CEO. In 2024, he officially became the 49ers’ principal owner after purchasing enough equity from his mother, Denise DeBartolo York, to take the title.

The York family has an estimated net worth of $8.5 billion ($11.89 billion), with his personal fortune estimated at approximately $500 million ($697 million).

Under York, the 49ers have won five NFC West titles, reached seven NFC Championship Games and played in three Super Bowls. The one thing missing is a Lombardi Trophy. Coming off another 12-5 season, another Super Bowl push was supposed to be the focus. Instead, York is now waiting to see whether the NFL disciplines him under its Personal Conduct Policy.

NFL faces decision on Jed York’s future

The NFL’s personal conduct policy includes owners among the groups required to avoid behavior that could harm the league’s integrity. As York reportedly got involved in a misdemeanor, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy broke his silence. 

“We are aware of the matter which will be reviewed under the personal conduct policy,” McCarthy wrote in a statement.

As the NFL will have to make an important decision about York, this is not the first time that they will be dealing with such a case. In Florida, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was charged with two misdemeanor counts related to soliciting prostitution in 2019.

At the time, the NFL said Kraft would be held to the same Personal Conduct Policy as others and that it would investigate the circumstances before determining whether disciplinary action was warranted. The case against him was later dismissed in 2020 after courts ruled that surveillance footage could not be used by prosecutors.

For an owner, NFL discipline can go beyond a fine. Another came in 2014, when Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of driving while intoxicated. The NFL suspended him for six games and fined him $500,000 for violating the league’s Personal Conduct Policy. During the suspension, Irsay was barred from the Colts’ facility, while COO Pete Ward, general manager Ryan Grigson and Irsay’s daughter, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, handled team operations in his absence. The case showed that when an owner is disciplined, the league can temporarily remove that person from day-to-day involvement with the franchise rather than limiting the punishment to a financial penalty.

However, things are a bit different here for York. His criminal case has already been resolved, with the court entering guilty findings after he pleaded no contest. The league will either suspend or fire him. Time to see which option will decide York’s future.