Haeley Snell, wife of pitcher Blake Snell, posted a screenshot of a disturbing Instagram direct message she received following the Dodgers' National League Championship Series Game 3 loss to the Brewers. The message, from an account identifying as Kavidies Fernan, contained a violent threat directed at her husband.
"It’s simple: tell that son of a bitch to back off before October 20th," the message read. "Otherwise, I’ll cut off your fingers, one by one. I don’t care about spending 40k to track you down, you bitch. He has until October 20th. Consider yourself warned."
Haeley Snell shared the threat on her Instagram story with the caption, "Tell me you lost a sports bet without telling you lost a sports bet." The message appears to be from a disgruntled sports bettor upset with Snell's performance.
Blake Snell pitched well for most of Game 3, holding a 2-1 lead before allowing back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning, which put the Dodgers in a 4-2 deficit. The Brewers went on to win the game 6-2.
This incident highlights concerns about the intersection of sports betting and athlete harassment. Major professional sports leagues, including the NFL, MLB, MLS, NBA, and NHL, have previously called for stricter punishments, including lifetime bans, for bettors who threaten or harass athletes, personnel, or their families. Sportsbooks such as Fanatics, DraftKings, and Kalshi have also implemented programs to ban bettors engaging in such behavior.
Fanatics confirmed to The Post that it is investigating the matter, though it remains unclear if the account holder placed a bet through a legal sportsbook.