Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani made headlines in December when he became the highest-paid player in the MLB, signing a contract for $700 million. Now he’s in the news again after announcing his marriage on Instagram. He didn’t offer much detail. In the caption of his post, the image of which shows his announcement in Japanese text alongside a cute clipart-style image of his dog, he wrote that he has begun “a new life with someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me.” He added: “I wanted everyone to know I am now married.”
The announcement prompted many questions about his new wife, who he did not identify. According to the Associated Press, he spoke again later in the day at Camelback Ranch, the Arizona stadium and training facility where the Dodgers practice. “I don’t really feel comfortable talking about when I got married exactly, but she’s a normal Japanese woman,” he said through a translator. Okay! I guess not someone he met on Raya, then. He also reportedly shared that he’s known his wife for three or four years and that she is willing to travel with him wherever he plays.
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According to Dylan Hernández of the Los Angeles Times, Ohtani’s announcement is not all that unusual. Citing Japan’s “notoriously aggressive” tabloids and the norms of Japan’s celebrity culture, Hernández writes that Ohtani isn’t the first Japanese celebrity to try to hide his spouse’s identity. In his Instagram post, Ohtani wrote that he is “excited for what is to come,” which sounds like a good way to feel after getting married. Congrats to the happy (mystery) couple.