Ernestine Sclafani

Biography

Ernestine Sclafani is an American entrepreneur, public relations executive & business woman. She has worked as the vice-president (international public relations) of the Weber Shandwick (leading global public relations firm). Ernestine is married to sports commentator Skip Bayless (has worked at ESPN).

Childhood- Family

Ernestine Sclafani was born on 3rd August 1962 in Long Island, New York, United States to Evelyn Sclafani(mother). [6]

Ernestine has a brother who is a Doctor in Manhattan and a sister Joyce, who is a breast Surgeon in Ohio.

Ernestine's mother Evelyn died in August 2013, she was suffering from Pancreatic cancer

Education

Ernestine studied at the Suffolk Country Community College (SCCC), a public college in Long Island, New York from 1982-1986.

Fashion Institute of Technology: She is an alumni of the Fashion institute situated in New York

Marriage

Skip Bayless

Ernestine & commentator Skip Bayless (born in 1951 as John Edward Bayless) married on 28th July 2016. The couple first met in 2005 when Ernestine brought Kevin Dillon to the First Take set. They dated for few years before getting engaged in 2011, and married after 5 years of engagement.

Image: Ernestine Sclafani with husband Skip Bayless

First date: Skip told Ernestine on their very first date that sports would be his first love. The two had dinner together on the very first day they met. Their love for classic TV shows & 20th century music bonded them together. [1]

As they have grown together, over the years, Skip's attitude has changed, in an episode of the Skp Bayless show, in 2023, he said:

My career has always been the most important thing in my life, but I’m very glad to say my wife Ernestine has become 1a. [2]

In a 2023 podcast, he confessed:

The truth is, the truth that I have trouble admitting to her, is that she is more important to me than my work. [3]

The couple spend most of their week apart from each other, they, however, meet on Fridays without fail to enjoy their weekend together. A Friday date night usually goes with them watching TV shows and movie together. Ernestine and Skip have the Friday ritual of watching Jeopardy episodes together, almost without a miss, for nearly 20 years. [5]

Career

Balls: How to keep your relationship alive when you live with a sports-obsessed guy

Ernestine wrote a book on her relationship with Skip Bayless, how she worked around to keep their relationship alive and thriving, how she learned to co-exist with his "other woman"- sports, how their relationship thrived despite the threat from his obession with sports, while not being a sports fan herself.

• She has provided services & strategies in various fields such as Beauty, Beverage, Fashion, Food, Health care & technology
• Izod Lacoste: She worked as an Assistant Accessories Director from 1981 to 1983
• Esmark Apparel: She worked as an Assistant Marketing Director from 1983-1985.
• Ernestine Sclafani started her career at the 'Bally of Switzerland' as an employee in the public relations department, she worked there from 1990 to 2000.
• PR 101: She created internal quality workshop training sessions for new media employees
• Edelman Public Relations Worldwide: She worked at the Edelman Public Relations as the vice-president from 1995-2005
• Some of the clients she has worked for include:
  • Ancestry.com
  • ALDI
  • Bank of America
  • Birds Eye
  • Campbell's Soup Company
  • Chobani
  • Dunkin Donuts
  • Fed x
  • General Mills
  • Harley Davidson
  • Hellman's
  • Kraft Foods
  • MAC makeup
  • McCormick
  • Motorola
  • Nespresso
  • Oreo
  • Q Tips
  • Pedigree
  • Ronald McDonald House
  • Royal Caribbean
  • State Farm
  • Suave and Axe
  • Unilever brands including Ponds
  • United States Army
  • USPS
  • Verizon
  • Walgreens
  • Wines from Spain
• Some of the media projects she secured include:
  • Access Hollywood
  • AP
  • CBS Early Show
  • CNN
  • Conan
  • E Entertainment
  • Entertainment Tonight
  • ESPN's First Take
  • Extra
  • Fox and Friends
  • Good Day LA
  • Good Day NY
  • Good Morning America
  • Harry Connick Show
  • Huffington Post
  • KTLA
  • Late Show With David Letterman
  • Morning Joe
  • NY Live
  • Parade
  • People Magazine
  • PIX Morning Show
  • Sports center
  • The Chew
  • The Rachael Ray Show
  • The Real
  • The Talk
  • The Today Show
  • The Tonight Show
  • The View
  • USA Today

Facts & Trivia

• Skip & Ernestine have a Maltese named Hazel for pet at home. Skip thinks Hazel is very protective of Ernestine. Ernestine wanted a "girl" dog, she complains that her husband is raising Hazel like a boy.
• When Ernestine and Hazel go out for a falk in the nature, Ernestine carries a pack of peanuts to feed the squirrels around her house, she enjoys friendly relations with the squirrels in her surroundings. She has one favorite squirrel, whom she calls "little man". Strangely, Hazel also loves squirrels, which is unusual for dogs, and it mostly has to do with Ernestine loving squirrels. [3]
• She is native of New York, but loves Los Angeles more than New York
• Christmas movie List: Skip and Ernestine have their favorite list of movies for Christmas: Christmas Carol (1938), Home Alone(1990), Christmas Vacation(1989), Die Hard(1988) [4]
• What is something that Ernestine knows about Skip and wants the world to know?
  • He has a good dry sense of humour, has a big heart. [6]
• Ernestine and Skip sometimes play Golf together.
• Ernestine and Skip go an vacations every year, in 2012, 2014 they were in San Juan, Puerto Rico. They like Puerto Rico.
• Her husband skip once called her "95-pound firecracker from Long Island", comparing her to his previous relationships he said "She is the strongest willed & can elbow her way into my life better than the others"

Quotes

• There's no such thing as a sure thing

Sources

1. Ernestine and Skip first date
2. Skip on his relationship on the Skip Bayless show
3. Ernestine and Squirrels
4. Christmas movies List
5. Weekend Jeopardy ritual
6. Ernestine of Skip's show
7.