Jennifer Pedranti and Ryan Boyajian Anna Webber/Getty Pictures
It’s the popular culture crossover no one might have seen coming: Shohei Ohtani and The Actual Housewives of Orange County.
Over the course of its 18 seasons, the ladies of the OC have thrown sufficient drinks, received in sufficient fights and visited sufficient strip mall plastic surgeon’s workplaces to make your head spin. However drama involving the most effective baseball participant on this planet? Effectively, even for an enormous franchise related to greater than a pair monumental authorized circumstances (Salt Lake Metropolis, New Jersey Housewives have served jail time!) that’s a brand new one.
So, what’s occurring right here?
Ohtani’s identify getting into the Actual Housewives discourse is all thanks to 1 man: Ryan Boyajian. The fiancé of RHOC solid member Jennifer Pedranti, Boyajian, 47, was first linked to Ohtani, 30, in Might when ESPN revealed a report connecting him to Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
Mizuhara was fired in March after Ohtani’s representatives accused him of stealing not less than $15 million from Ohtani to repay playing money owed to an unlawful sportsbook. Based on a legal grievance, Mizuhara would wire cash into the account of a person named “Affiliate 1.”
Being a Actual Housewife isn’t all diamonds and rosé — simply ask the numerous Bravolebrities who’ve authorized woes have performed out within the highlight. Whereas some franchises sort out the lawsuits on air — together with Actual Housewives of New Jersey’s Teresa and Joe Giudice’s fraud case, Actual Housewives of New York Metropolis’s Sonja Morgan’s chapter submitting […]
Based on ESPN, “Affiliate 1” was Boyajian.
For a breakdown of all of the gamers concerned, the place issues stand now and what Boyajian and his Actual Housewives castmates have mentioned in regards to the case, preserve scrolling.
Shohei Ohtani Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Pictures
Who Is Shohei Ohtani?
Let’s begin right here.
For anyone residing beneath a baseball rock, Ohtani, 30, is broadly thought to be the most effective baseball participant on this planet. The Japanese star got here stateside in 2017, taking part in the primary six careers of his MLB profession with the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December 2023, the biggest contract in skilled sports activities historical past.
Throughout his first season with the Dodgers, he turned the primary participant in MLB historical past to hit 50 dwelling runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.
What Precisely Is Ryan Boyajian Accused of Doing?
Per ESPN, Boyajian and alleged unlawful bookmaker Matthew Bowyer accepted playing money owed from Mizuhara, Ohtain’s former interpreter, right into a checking account related to their actual property initiatives.
Between February 2022 and October 2023, the account allegedly acquired wire transfers of not less than $15 million from Ohtani’s account by Mizuhara. In his plea settlement, Mizuhara mentioned he made the funds with out Ohtani’s information.
“Mizuhara paid his losses to Boyajian, who forwarded the cash to his personal ‘marker’ accounts at Resorts World and Pechanga Resort On line casino in Southern California,” sources advised ESPN. “Boyajian and Bowyer then withdrew the chips from the marker accounts, gambled with them and in the event that they gained, cashed out.”
Los Angeles Dodgers participant Shohei Ohtani has discovered himself in the midst of a baseball scandal. Simply weeks earlier than Main League Baseball’s 2024 season formally kicked off, Ohtani’s interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers for allegedly taking vital sums of cash from the participant in an effort to settle playing money owed. Legislation enforcement […]
Boyajian allegedly acquired high-end “comps” from his on line casino “host,” sources defined to ESPN, who earned cash through fee based mostly on how a lot Boyajian and Bowyer gambled.
The comps included free meals and beverage, golf, tickets to reveals and sporting occasions, procuring sprees and resort suites.
Shohei Ohtani speaks together with his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara Meg Oliphant/Getty Pictures
What Has Ryan Boyajian Mentioned In regards to the Allegations?
Boyajian is cooperating with authorities, based on a press release by his lawyer.
“As a result of there’s an energetic investigation and Ryan is working with the authorities, he can’t verify or deny what’s going on,” legal legal professional Steven Katzman advised ESPN in Might. “He isn’t a bookmaker or a sub-bookie.”
A number of sources advised ESPN Boyajian has acquired immunity in return for his testimony.
What Has Jennifer Pedranti Mentioned In regards to the Allegations Towards Ryan Boyajian?
Pedranti, 47, broke her silence on the allegations towards Boyajian, who she began courting in 2020, throughout an look on Bravo’s Watch What Occurs Stay in July.
Ryan Boyajian and Jennifer Pedranti Courtesy of Jennifer Pedranti/Instagram
“The connection [Ryan] has to it’s, it’s our greatest mates [Bowyer is married to wife Nicole Bowyer] and so it’s simply unlucky as a result of we’ve traveled with them so many occasions to Vegas and all of the perks and all of the enjoyable, however Ryan’s affiliation with it’s, it’s simply his perfect good friend,” Pedranti advised host Andy Cohen, talking of Boyajian’s relationship with Bowyer. “It form of sucks to be completely sincere, however we’re simply doing our greatest to simply love and assist them, they usually’re those going by it.”
Pedranti continued, “I simply suppose in time, this stuff take time, everyone will see it’s not Ryan. There’s not a single factor you may vindicate him from however should you give it time, everyone will see there’s nothing.”
What Has the Actual Housewives of Orange County Forged Mentioned In regards to the Ryan Boyajian Accusations?
Shortly after the allegations towards Boyajian have been made, Actual Housewives of Orange County star Tamra Decide let her emotions be made very clear.
“I didn’t join Mob Wives. I signed up for The Actual Housewives of Orange County,” Decide, 57, mentioned on the Might 13 episode of her “Two T’s in a Pod” podcast. “That is darkish. That is heavy. That is disgusting.”
Us Weekly completely reported that Bravo cameras picked again up within the aftermath of the Boyajian drama and viewers received their first sneak peek of the firestorm forward in the course of the Thursday, September 26 episode.
“How’s the FBI going for you?” Decide requested Boyajian at a solid ceremonial dinner. “Oh, you don’t know something in regards to the FBI?”
In a confessional, Decide spilled extra about her intimate information of the case.
“I’ve identified for about six months that Ryan was raided by the FBI,” she mentioned. “It was some form of unlawful playing and Jenn is aware of all about it.”
New episodes of The Actual Housewives of Orange County air Thursdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo.
