Shohei Ohtani says he never gambled on sports

Speaking for the first time since his former interpreter was accused of stealing money from the baseball star's account to gamble on sports, Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani told his side of the story on Monday.

In a statement to the media, Ohtani said he only learned about the alleged theft last week during a baseball series in South Korea and he accused his longtime Japanese interpreter Ippei Mizuhara of stealing money from his account and lying.

Mizuhara was fired after Ohtani’s lawyers accused him of stealing millions of dollars and placing bets with a bookmaker under federal investigation, according to ESPN and the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the story.

The star two-way player signed an unparalleled 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers this offseason.

Here's what we learned:

• Timeline: The baseball player said he first learned that Mizuhara admitted to using money from the star’s account to bet on sports during a team meeting. Mizuhara spoke in English during the meeting and though he didn’t understand exactly what was being said, Ohtani said he started to feel like “something was amiss.” Mizuhara asked the star to speak in private after the meeting, Ohtani said. That's when he found out, he said, about his interpreter's gambling addiction. Until that point, he did not know Mizuhara was in debt, Ohtani said.
• How it started: The saga began with reporters asking questions about alleged wire transfers from Ohtani’s bank account to a bookmaker. Ohtani was in South Korea for the series against the San Diego Padres when he said the media contacted his representatives about his “potential involvement” in sports betting. Ohtani indicated that Mizuhara never told him about the media inquiry. According to Ohtani, Mizuhara told reporters and his representatives that Ohtani "on behalf of a friend, paid off debt." After more questions, Ohtani said it was uncovered that Mizuhara "was in debt and told my representatives that I was paying off those debts," calling it a "complete lie."
• Some more background: According to ESPN, Ohtani’s spokesperson initially told the outlet that the Japanese superstar was covering the gambling debts of his longtime friend and interpreter. Additionally, in an interview with ESPN on Tuesday, Mizuhara said wire transfers from Ohtani’s bank account to an alleged bookmaking operation were to cover his losses, but that Ohtani had zero involvement in the betting. On Wednesday, Ohtani’s lawyers released a statement saying he was a victim of theft and Mizuhara walked back on much he had previously told ESPN, saying Ohtani had no knowledge or involvement in the gambling activities, or his efforts to repay the debt.
• Ohtani denies sports betting: Ohtani said Monday that he "never bet on baseball or any other sports, or ... asked somebody to do it on my behalf." He also denied going through a bookmaker to bet on sports.
• Reaction: On a personal note, Ohtani he was "very sad and shocked that someone who I trust has done this" and said it is "really hard for me to verbalize how I'm feeling at this point." He said he is letting his lawyers handle the investigations moving forward and is looking toward the start of baseball season.

Shohei Ohtani said that his former interpreter “has been stealing” from his account and “has told lies.”  

The baseball superstar said he was in South Korea for a series against the San Diego Padres when the media contacted his representatives about his “potential involvement” in sports betting. 

Ohtani indicated that Ippei Mizuhara never told him about the media inquiry. 

“Ippei told to the media and to the representatives that I, on behalf of a friend, paid off debt,” Ohtani said through an interpreter Monday. “Upon further questioning, it was revealed that it was actually in fact Ippei who … was in debt and told my representatives that I was paying off those debts.” 

Ohtani added: “All of this has been a complete lie.”

Some background: Mizuhara was fired last week after Ohtani’s lawyers accused him of “massive theft” of millions of dollars and placing bets with a bookmaker under federal investigation, according to ESPN and the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the story.

Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani said he found out at a team meeting after the first game in South Korea last week that his former interpreter admitted to using money from his account to bet on sports.

Ohtani said Mizuhara, his former interpreter, was speaking English during that meeting. Though he didn’t understand exactly what was being said, Ohtani said he started to feel like “something was amiss.”

Before the meeting, Mizuhara told Ohtani that he wanted to talk to him in private after the meeting, according to Ohtani. Once they talked, that's when Ohtani said he found out about the debt.

“So up until that team meeting, I didn’t know that Ippei had a gambling addiction and was in debt," he said, through another interpreter on Monday.
And obviously I never agreed to pay off the debt or to make payments to the bookmaker," he added.

This post has been updated with additional comments.

Summarizing how he was feeling toward the end of his statement Monday, Shohei Ohtani said that he is “beyond shocked” over what he says was his ex-interpreter's theft.

"It is really hard for me to verbalize how I'm feeling at this point," he said.

"I'm looking forward to focusing on the season," he added.

Ippei Mizuhura had served as the baseball star's interpreter since 2017.

Speaking for the first time since the scandal involving his interpreter broke out, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani said Monday that he "never bet on baseball or any other sports, or...asked somebody to do it on my behalf."

He also denied going through a bookmaker to bet on sports.

He said that his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhura, "has been stealing money from my account and has told lies."

Addressing allegations that his former interpreter engaged in "massive theft," Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani said that he is "very sad and shocked that someone who I trust has done this."

Speaking to the media through another interpreter on Monday, Ohtani acknowledged that it has been a tough week for fans and the team and thanked people for being patient.

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is making a statement to the media as Major League Baseball investigates allegations of theft against his longtime interpreter.

He will not be taking questions, according to the team.

Will Ireton, a Dodgers employee, will serve as Ohtani’s interpreter, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Some background: The allegations came to light last week when Ohtani’s Japanese interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired after Ohtani’s lawyers accused him of “massive theft” of millions of dollars and placing bets with a bookmaker under federal investigation, according to ESPN and the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the story.

Ohtani, who doesn’t speak often with reporters, has not spoken publicly since Mizuhara’s firing. The star two-way player signed an unparalleled 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers this offseason.

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani’s longtime Japanese interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired after Ohtani’s lawyers accused him of “massive theft” of millions of dollars and placing bets with a bookmaker under federal investigation, according to ESPN and the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the story.

The scandal has threatened to overshadow the start of MLB’s Opening Day on Thursday, challenged the public’s understanding of one of baseball’s biggest stars, and brought renewed scrutiny to professional sports’ closeness with gambling.

An attorney for Mathew Bowyer, the former bookmaker under federal investigation related to gambling, said he never met or had “any direct contact” with Ohtani but did do business with Mizuhara.

“Mathew Bowyer never spoke with or emailed with or texted with or had any contact whatsoever with Shohei Ohtani,” the attorney, Diane Bass told CNN in an on-camera interview on Saturday.

The attorney also said Ohtani’s interpreter never bet on baseball.

The MLB and the Internal Revenue Service are separately investigating Mizuhara.

Shohei Ohtani’s longtime Japanese interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired after Ohtani’s lawyers accused him of “massive theft” of millions of dollars and placing bets with a bookmaker under federal investigation, according to ESPN and the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the story.

The saga began with reporters asking questions about alleged wire transfers from Ohtani’s bank account. Here’s how the scandal unfolded:

• Mizuhara told ESPN in a Tuesday interview, arranged by Ohtani’s representative, he asked Ohtani last year to pay off his gambling debt, ESPN reported. Ohtani had no involvement in his betting, Mizuhara said.
• But after the interview, Ohtani’s spokesperson “disavowed” Mizuhara’s account, then released a statement saying Ohtani had been the victim of theft.
• On the same day, Mizuhara was seen smiling in the LA dugout and talking to Ohtani before translating for the star in the team’s 5-2 win over the San Diego Padres in the MLB season-opening game in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday.
• Later Wednesday, Mizuhara was fired as Ohtani’s interpreter.
• After learning about the allegations against Ohtani and Mizuhara, MLB on Friday announced it would be pursuing an investigation. The IRS also confirmed it was investigating Mizuhara.