Shohei Ohtani is all over the news once again as he announced his marriage. Last year, prior to his record-breaking 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers worth $700 million, the baseball superstar kept the entire MLB world and his fanbase guessing about which team he would choose. And he chose to do the same when it came to his relationships – kept people guessing.
In 2018 and 2021, rumors were flying thick and fast about his apparent relationship with professional softball player Kamalini Dung, especially after they shared a picture together online and she confessed that she was a massive Ohtani fan. However, just like his MLB deal, the world is thrilled with his marriage.
Is Shohei Ohtani married?
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“Does Shohei Ohtani have a wife?” is probably the biggest question that pops up in everyone’s mind when talking about his personal life. Well, Ohtani who has always kept his personal life private has now answered that question himself. Taking to Instagram, the dodger posted a picture of his statement that was written in Japanese and included a photo of his dog, “Decoy.”
The post read, “Not only have I began a new chapter in my career with the Dodgers but I also have began a new life with someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me and I wanted everyone to know I am now married.”
Ohtani who likes to keep things private, did not even mention the date of when he got married. He did not even reveal the identity of his wife, but just mentioned she is a “Japanese woman.”
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A few other details that Ohtani disclosed through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara were that he “felt it was good timing because it was before the season” as he didn’t want any distractions when the season started. The LA dodger would have liked to announce it earlier, but some paperwork issues lagged the whole process.
Before Thursday’s announcement, there was no public indication Ohtani was dating anyone, but he was linked to professional softball player Kamalani Dung,
Shohei Ohtani was linked to Kamalani Dung but who is she?
Hailing from Hawaii and representing Puerto Rico, Dung is interestingly known as the ‘YouTube Pitcher’ because she learned to pitch or throw softball using YouTube video tutorials as compared to traditional coaching classes.
It seems she learned her lessons well, as she even won a gold medal at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla, Colombia. In the same year, Dung shared a picture with Ohtani on her Instagram profile. As a result, multiple rumors about her possible relationship with Shohei Ohtani came to light.
Fast forward to 2023, and she has been a pitcher with the Cal Golden Bears and even has an MVP to her name. She also doubles up as a model and social media influencer based on her Instagram profile, where she has 57K followers. She follows Ohtani’s profile, but interestingly, he doesn’t follow her.
How did Shohei Ohtani meet Kamalani Dung?
Back in 2018, Kama Dung managed to find her way into sharing spaces with a few Los Angeles Angels stars and then Dodgers star Kike Hernandez. She shared an Instagram picture with multiple players, including Shohei Ohtani, Martin Maldonado, and Rene Rivera, with the caption, “Thanks for hooking it up @angels (and Kike w @dodgers)”
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Following this meeting at first, rumors of a relationship between the Angels star and the Puerto Rican gold medalist surfaced. However, neither of the two ever confirmed or denied rumors of a potential relationship, and Kama Dung has always strictly maintained that she’s just a massive fan of the two-way wonder. However, that didn’t end speculations but now that Ohtani’s married – one can imagine there was truth to what Dung said.
Watch This Story: Japanese Two-Way Baseball Star Shohei Ohtani Hits 100th Major League Homer
Dung is actually in a relationship with Hawaii-based musician Dillion Pakele. The couple even made their relationship public on Instagram in 2022. Ohtani, on the other hand, has surprised the world by announcing his marriage. Curious to know who that lucky woman is?
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Who is Shohei Ohtani’s wife?
Shohei Ohtani made the leap year’s day special for every one of his fans when he announced that he is now officially a married man. While not much information was given about his wife, Ohtani revealed that he had known his wife for about three or four years. She lives in Japan but has been with him in Arizona during Spring Training. He said, “… She has a great understanding of my profession. She’s willing to be wherever I want to play at. Ultimately, it was up to me. So it had nothing to do with it.”
The Japanese star also added that his spouse is a “normal Japanese woman.” The LA dodger urged the media and fans to maintain his privacy and assured them that he’ll be conducting a press conference on Friday, March 1.
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In a world where popularity works hand in hand with unwarranted public scrutiny, it is very unlikely that Ohtani has escaped it all. Like always, the famously private superstar has left the fans guessing.
