Reporter
S. A. Split
The Cisneroses aren’t the only ones in the Alamo City fighting over their divorce.
San Antonio’s favorite couple, Mary Alice and Henry Cisneros, were back in the news in October. This time, though, their matrimonial travails were overshadowed by a quarrel between rival media columnists. The Express-News’ Jeanne Jakle blew the whole thing open on September 18, when she announced that talk-show host Maury Povich had been trying to get Cisneros’ former lady-love, Linda Medlar, on his show. Three weeks later, Mary Alice slapped Henry with a harsh divorce suit, citing as the last straw the news that Medlar might appear on television.
Light writer Susan Yerkes called Povich’s publicist, who claimed to know nothing about it. Scolded Yerkes: “As usual, the Cisneroses are hot fodder for this city’s voracious rumor mill.” Then she concluded, “A journalist’s imagination can be a dangerous thing.” The next day Jakle shot back with her ace in the hole: a letter from Povich, confirming their conversation about the interview.
Even though Yerkes admits that she should have phoned Jakle or Povich, she defends herself: “I was trying to say that it was too bad something so insubstantial triggered the divorce—there was certainly enough substance to have triggered it any time.” Meanwhile, Yerkes’ editor commented on the contretemps on TV, saying his paper “said some things we shouldn’t have said.” For a while at least, all eyes were not on the Cisneroses’ marital miseries.
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