Despite the initial turmoil, Mizuhara affirmed he was answering questions voluntarily.
"Yes," said Mizuhara.
In a public statement released shortly after Mizuhara was fired, Ohtani addressed the media through his new interpreter, Will Ireton, expressing his shock over the betrayal.
"I do want to make it clear that I never bet on sports or have willfully sent money to the bookmaker," said Ohtani.
Ohtani explained the deep emotional impact of learning about the missing funds and the unauthorized actions taken by his long-time associate.
"To summarize how I'm feeling right now, I'm just beyond shocked. It's really hard to verbalize how I am feeling at," said Ohtani.
Bowyer was sentenced in August 2025 to one year and one day in federal prison for running the illegal gambling business.
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Ohtani went on to win consecutive World Series titles with the Dodgers.
