Pete Rose’s Cause of Death: Know His South Korean Fiance Kiana Kim, Who Was 39 Years Younger Than Him

Regarded as one of the most successful baseball players, Pete Rose was also known as Charlie Hustle. The professional baseball player was a prominent member of the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970s and later went on to manage them from 1984 to 1989. Rose was one of the best players, winning the Most Valuable Player Award, two Golden Glove Awards, and the Rookie of the Year Award.

However, the player was banned from Major League Baseball in August 1989 for gambling on baseball. It was discovered upon further investigation that he not only gambled on MLB games but also wagered on games involving his team, the Reds. The baseball legend was in an open relationship with a Playboy model, Kiana Kim, and has passed away at the age of 83.

Major League Baseball legend Pete Rose passes away

CBS News reports that Pete Rose, known as the Major League Baseball legend who later received a lifetime ban from the sport due to gambling, has passed away. He was 83 years old when he passed away, Clark County spokesperson Stephanie Wheatley confirmed the news. The cause of death has not yet been determined but it has been noted by ABC News that there were no signs of foul play.

Pete Rose is a controversial figure in the baseball world, but no one has managed to come close to his record of 4,256 hits. He surpassed his hero Ty Cobb’s record of 4,191 hits, signifying that he is one of the greatest baseball players. His success on the field was untouchable, and there were no doubts about that. Reports noted that Rose lived for baseball and could remember the most detailed things about the game for a long time, depicting that he loved the sport. He went on to manage his team, the Cincinnati Reds, from 1984 to 1989.

However, in 1989, everything that Rose worked hard for started to crumble as he was involved in an investigation after reports of him relying on a network of bookies and friends in the gambling world started to pop up. The surprising part was the gambling accusations involved him betting on his team. Pete Rose denied all the allegations against him, but in August 1989, at a New York Press Conference, Bart Giamatti announced that the baseball player had agreed to a lifetime ban from baseball.

The baseball player believed that he’d be reinstated, but the ban remained in place, and he never made it to the Hall of Fame in his life. The professional player in his memoir, which was released in 2019, mentioned that he was innocent but continued to spend time spending money in casinos. He wrote in his memoir,

I don’t think betting is morally wrong. I don’t even think betting on baseball is morally wrong. There are legal ways, and there are illegal ways, and betting on baseball the way I did was against the rules of baseball.

In 1990, the now-late-player pleaded guilty to two charges of filing false income tax returns and served five months in jail. Pete Rose’s sentence shook the public as the prosecutors suggested that it was a sad day for the young people who looked up to him as their idol.

Pete Rose’s fiancée, Kiana Kim, described their family as a ‘modern-day family’

Rose was a controversial figure on and off the field, as his relationship with Playboy model and real estate agent Kiana Kim, which was the subject of gossip at the time. Reports have suggested that Kim was 39 years younger than Rose, and the two of them starred in a reality TV series titled Pete Rose: Hits & Mrs. The show ran only for six episodes.

Rose was previously married to Karolyn Englehardt in 1964 but got divorced in 1980. He later got married to Carol J. Woliung in 1984, and after being together for two decades, the couple decided to part ways. Rose tried to wrap things up quickly to be free to marry Kiana Kim. It was reported that the two of them were in an open relationship.

In 2010, the model entrepreneur became Google’s No. 1 searched person after she appeared on the Howard Stern Show alongside Pete Rose. EW at the time noted that the reality show was going to take the audience into the daily lives of the two of them as they try to blend in with their families. Rose shared with EW

She’s got younger kids and I’ve got adult kids, and we go through the same things everybody else does: taking the braces off, making sure they get their education, and they go to basketball practice or acting class. It’s not going to be classless—like it seems like a lot of reality shows aren’t reality, but our reality show is going to be funny, entertaining, and real.

The model also went on to share that they are a modern-day family mixing cultures, ages, and different backgrounds. Kiana Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea before she moved to America. She worked as a flight attendant before she studied to become a real estate agent and opened up her salon. Kim shares two kids with her ex-husband whom she has never discussed. 

The two of them believed that the show would help them in clearing up the image the audience had of him, especially after the ban. During the interview, the player admitted that he’d be the happiest guy if he were inducted into the Hall of Fame but understood the reason why he wasn’t—because he messed up.

Pete Rose will be remembered for his love and passion for baseball. It’s unfortunate that he messed up and couldn’t receive one thing he wanted in his life: being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Kiana Kim’s net worth according to Celebrity Net Worth is $1.5 million.

We extend our condolences to Pete Rose’s family and friends.