Justin Verlander won’t say if Kate Upton is his girlfriend

There has been intense speculation since July that Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander and supermodel Kate Upton are dating, and even family members seemed to have confirmed their relationship. But the reigning AL MVP won’t say whether or not Upton is his girlfriend.

“I’m not confirming or denying anything,” Verlander told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.

Nightengale says Verlander laughed while giving his response, and acknowledged that even his teammates are curious.

“I’ll leave that to my grandfather. God bless him,” Verlander said.

Verlander was referring to his grandfather, Richard Verlander Sr., who seemingly confirmed in an interview with Celebuzz that his grandson and Upton were dating. Verlander seemed to find it pretty disturbing that media members called his grandfather to get a story.

“I never thought I’d have to prepare my grandfather for the media,” Verlander told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s a whole different world. I can’t believe that people would call my grandparents. It’s tough when people start trying to dig into your personal life.”

Verlander’s father, Richard Jr., expressed a similar sentiment, finding it odd that someone would reach out to his 87-year-old father for the story.

Between sports fans and Kate Upton fans, there is heavy public interest in the subject matter. We understand why Verlander would attempt to keep his relationship status private, but based on all the circumstantial evidence, it’s pretty obvious that they are dating. No need for Verlander to keep matters private — he should be proud!