LA Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani recently confronted the media to discuss the gambling scandal linked to his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.
The controversy surfaced just as the Dodgers were set to play the San Diego Padres at the Seoul Series in South Korea.
Speaking through his new interpreter, Will Ireton, Ohtani delivered a prepared statement at Dodger Stadium, firmly denying any involvement in gambling. He didn’t respond to questions but shared for about 10 minutes his unawareness of Mizuhara’s betting activities and refuted any accusations of using a third party for placing bets.
Ohtani expressed his dismay: “I am both saddened and shocked by the betrayal of someone I trusted deeply. I have never bet on baseball or any other sport, nor have I ever instructed anyone to wager on my behalf. Furthermore, I have never engaged with a bookie for sports betting. Until recently, I was completely unaware of these occurrences. In essence, Ippei has been embezzling funds from my account and has been deceitful.”
The narrative around the scandal has presented conflicting versions. Initially, Ippei Mizuhara admitted to ESPN’s Trisha Thompson that Ohtani had cleared a $4.5 million debt to an illegal bookmaker, asserting Ohtani’s non-involvement in his betting activities.
However, this account shifted prior to publication, with Ohtani’s legal team clarifying that the baseball star was oblivious to Mizuhara’s actions, labelling Ohtani as the target of significant financial theft and debunking Mizuhara’s initial claims.
