In the summer of 1969, a teenager named Morganna Roberts was sitting in the stands at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. It was hot. The air was thick. Pete Rose, the "Charlie Hustle" of the Cincinnati Reds, was standing in the on-deck circle. On a five-dollar bet from a friend, the young woman hopped the fence, sprinted onto the grass, and planted a kiss on Rose’s cheek.
He called her crazy.
But a local sportswriter called her "The Kissing Bandit," and just like that, a pop-culture supernova was born. For the next three decades, she was the only person in America who could trespass on professional sports fields and get a standing ovation instead of a taser.
Where is Morganna the Kissing Bandit Today?
If you go looking for Morganna Roberts in 2026, you won't find her at a stadium. You won't find her on a reality TV reboot or a "where are they now" special on a major network. Honestly, she’s become a bit of a ghost by choice.
Today, she’s 78 years old. She lives a quiet, suburban life near Columbus, Ohio. She’s been married to her husband, Bill Cottrell—an accountant she met at a World Series game—since the early 1970s. Think about that for a second. The woman who made a career out of publicly "cheating" on her husband with every superstar in the MLB has actually had one of the most stable marriages in sports history.
She doesn't do interviews anymore. Not really. The last time she truly broke her silence was around 2019 for the 50th anniversary of her first kiss, reaffirming to USA Today that she is 100% retired. People still recognize her, of course. When men approach her in Ohio and ask if she’s the legendary bandit, she usually just smiles and says her name is "Mo."
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The "Gravity Defense" and the 60-Inch Legend
Morganna wasn't just famous for the kisses. She was famous for a physique that was, frankly, a massive part of her marketing. She was an exotic dancer by trade, often earning $10,000 a week during her prime in the 1970s and 80s. Her measurements were reportedly 60-23-39.
It sounds like a tall tale, but it was her legal strategy.
In 1985, she was arrested at the Houston Astrodome after kissing Nolan Ryan. It was the first time she’d actually been hauled off to jail. Her lawyer, the legendary Richard “Racehorse” Haynes, famously used the "gravity defense." He argued that Morganna hadn't intended to trespass; she had simply leaned too far over the railing to see a foul ball, and her "top-heavy" nature caused her to tumble onto the field.
The judge bought it. Or maybe he just liked the show. Either way, the charges were dropped.
It Wasn't Always Fun and Games
We remember the laughs, but Morganna’s "career" was physically brutal. Security wasn't always as "accommodating" as the players. Over the years, she racked up 19 arrests. She didn't walk away unscathed.
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She suffered:
- A cracked kneecap.
- A broken tailbone.
- Three broken ribs.
- Countless bruises from being tackled by "rent-a-cops," as she called them.
She once joked that the jail time was just part of the overhead. She saw herself as an entertainer, a "Vaudeville act" in a world of serious athletes. Players like George Brett, Cal Ripken Jr., and even Don Mattingly usually took it in stride. Ripken notably stood still and waited for her to approach, making sure it was a consensual bit of fun.
The Quiet Transformation
One of the most surprising things about Morganna the Kissing Bandit today is how she physically distanced herself from the persona. Years ago, she underwent breast reduction surgery. It wasn't just a health choice; it was a way to reclaim her anonymity.
She effectively deleted the silhouette that made her a household name.
She invested her earnings well. While many stars from the 70s ended up broke, Morganna was savvy. She owned property and even held a stake in a minor league baseball team for a while. She left the industry on her own terms at the end of 1999, right as the world was turning into a more litigious, security-obsessed place.
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Why the "Kissing Bandit" Could Never Exist Now
Let’s be real: If someone tried this in 2026, they’d be lucky to leave the stadium without a felony charge and a lifetime ban from every MLB park. The "innocence" of the 70s and 80s—if you want to call it that—is gone.
Post-9/11 security and the modern understanding of personal boundaries changed the math. Morganna existed in a weird, specific window of time where a woman could rush a field, kiss a Hall of Famer, and have the crowd roar with approval.
She was a bridge between the old-school burlesque era and the modern celebrity era. She was the "Grand Dame of Baseball," a woman who turned a $5 bet into a million-dollar brand.
Actionable Insights: Lessons from a Legend
While we don't recommend rushing the field at the next Braves game, there are a few things to take away from Morganna's bizarre journey:
- Own your niche: Morganna knew exactly what her audience wanted and she stayed in her lane for 30 years.
- Invest when you're "up": She didn't blow her exotic dancing and appearance money; she bought land and businesses, which is why she’s comfortable today.
- Know when to exit: She retired before she became a parody of herself.
Morganna Roberts is currently enjoying her retirement in Ohio with her husband and her dog. She’s no longer the Bandit. She’s just Mo. And honestly? After 30 years of jumping fences and dodging security, she’s earned the peace and quiet.
If you want to dive deeper into her career, look up the 2014 ESPN E:60 documentary. It’s the most factual, non-sensationalized look at how a dancer from Kentucky became a permanent part of Cooperstown lore without ever hitting a home run.