Clemens’ lawyer had confirmed a long-term relationship with the country singer but denied it was sexual. The New York Daily News originally reported McCready met Clemens when she was a 15-year-old aspiring singer and he was a 28-year-old married father of two.

The story, which appeared on the newspaper’s Web site April 27th and in print editions the next morning, quoted several people who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation.

McCready tearfully confirmed the affair to the paper, which ran the affirmation April 29th.

“I cannot refute anything in the story,” McCready told the News in a prepared statement. “Yes, I have known Roger Clemens for a long time. … He’s a kind and caring man. He’s also a legendary athlete. The central topic in the debate, however, regards his professional life, not his personal life.”

To that effect, McCready could now be called to testify in a court case involving Clemens and his former personal trainer.

The pitcher, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner and former Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees pitching ace, has filed a defamation lawsuit against former personal trainer Brian McNamee. McNamee contends Clemens used performance-enhancing substances during his major league career.

“If the case heads to trial and is not dismissed, as we feel it should be, we will be calling [McCready] as a witness,” McNamee attorney Richard Emery told the paper.

“The point is whether he was damaged by the allegations that he used steroids – he claims he was hurt. But if there are other women – and there’s not just one case, but many – and he holds himself out as a family man and an American paradigm, it’s relevant.

“None of this would have been revealed but for his lawsuit and sanctimonious testimony before Congress,” Emery said.

Clemens allegedly met the 15-year-old McCready at a Fort Myers, Fla., karaoke bar called The Hired Hand. They returned to his hotel room but did not have sex that night, according to sources. The News said the relationship turned intimate after McCready moved to Nashville and became a country star.

The News also reported that Clemens sent bundles of cash to McCready in FedEx packages to help her out financially. She reportedly received checks from him, through an intermediary, in amounts up to $25,000.

The 32-year-old McCready was sentenced last September for violating probation from a 2004 drug arrest and was released from jail last December 30th. The violation occurred in July after she was accused of scuffling with her mother and resisting arrest at her mother’s home in Fort Myers. She still must serve two years’ probation.

McCready had a No. 1 single in 1996 with “Guys Do It All The Time.” Although her ensuing career was unspectacular, it appears she may benefit from some current projects, including a reported reality show and documentary film.