"Shohei Ohtani got $16M stolen and didn't even notice" - Serena Williams uses Dodgers star to call out pay gap between men and women at ESPYS

23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams had something to say about the Shohei Ohtani-related gambling scandal where the Dodgers star's former translator, Ippei Mizuhara reportedly stole $16 million from him. Williams kicked off Thursday night’s ESPY Awards by talking about the biggest stories in the sports world this year while calling out the vast gender pay gap.

The tennis legend used the example of Ohtani, who said he was not aware of $16 million theft from his bank account to suggest that the male athletes are earning so much that they don't care to notice.

"One of the craziest stories in sports this year was Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani," Williams said at ESPYs podium. "He got $16 million stolen from him by his translator and didn't even notice. $16 million, y'all.

"Male athletes get paid so much more than female athletes. They don't even notice losing 16 million dollars because believe me, I would have noticed."

In 2023, according to sports business outlet Sportico, the highest-earning female athlete was tennis player Coco Gauff, who raked in almost $23 million. Compare that to soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, who earned $275 million through his salary and endorsement deals.

Shohei Ohtani defrauded of $16 million by his translator

NFL: New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams. Credit: IMAGN

Earlier this season, MLB went through a dramatic gambling scandal involving the face of the league, Shohei Ohtani and his then-translator, Ippei Mizuhara. The latter's name came up in an investigation into an illegal bookmaker and Orange County resident with whom Ippei reportedly placed some bets.

Soon after the developments came out, Mizuhara was relieved off his duties as Ohtani's translator. The Dodgers star's attorney blamed him for carrying out a "major theft" reportedly worth $16 million from Ohtani's bank account without Ohtani being made aware about it.

Mizuhara allegedly used this money to pay off his astronomical gambling debt of $142 million. Later, in a press conference, Shohei Ohtani clarified that Mizuhara defrauded him and that he was telling all lies.

As things stand, Mizuhara has pleaded guilty to two felony charges of bank fraud and filing a false tax return. He will also need to pay back Ohtani $17 million. According to Yahoo Sports, Mizuhara has been sentenced to prison for 46 years and will not be eligible for parole until he is 104 years of age. He is serving time at the Washington State Penitentiary.

.