Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and his agent are being sued for allegedly causing a real estate investor and a broker to be removed from their jobs with a $240 million luxury housing development in Hawaii.
In a civil lawsuit filed in Hawaii Circuit Court on Friday, developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto claim they were removed from the project amid interference from agent Nez Balelo and Ohtani.
Hayes and Matsumoto contend their business partner, Kingsbarn
Realty Capital, dropped them and are suing on the ground of tortious interference and unjust enrichment. They also contend that Balelo and Ohtani attempted to impact their involvement in a second development.
Per the suit, Balelo sought concessions from Hayes and Matsumoto before demanding Kingsbarn fire them, which it did amid threats that Ohtani would back off his endorsement of The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort project. Hayes is a longtime developer, and Matsumoto was to be the listing agent.
"Kingsbarn openly admitted ... that Balelo had demanded the terminations and that they were being done solely to placate him," the suit said. "Plaintiffs stand to lose millions of dollars in compensation tied to projected homebuilding profit, construction management fees, and broker commissions."
Ohtani was brought into the venture to lend his name for promotional value, but instead he and Balelo, according to the filing, "exploited their celebrity leverage to destabilize and ultimately dismantle Plaintiffs' role in the project -- for no reason other than their own financial self-interest."
A spokesman for Balelo's agency, CAA Baseball, declined to comment when contacted by the New York Post.
The website of Kingsbarn Realty Capital details plans for The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort. It consists of 14 custom single-family homes built on 17 acres, with each home site offering a residence of more than 7,000 square feet and "unparalleled views of the Hawaiian coastline." It also is surrounded by two golf courses.
The website says the homes will be marketed primarily to potential buyers in the U.S. and Japan and that Ohtani would be the first resident, having already selected his lot in the development, where the average home price is $17.3 million.
Ohtani, 31, is the biggest star in Japan and wields considerable endorsement power. According to Forbes, Ohtani earned $60 million in endorsements in 2024.
He signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers before the 2024 season and is a three-time Most Valuable Player.
Ohtani was tied to another legal case last year when his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was accused of stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani. Mizuhara pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 57 months in prison.
--Field Level Media
