Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani and agent sued, accused of sabotaging $240M Hawaii real estate deal

Fans line up for exciting Shohei Ohtani giveaway

Hours ahead of game time, fans lined up to secure a replica Shohei Ohtani World Series ring.

LOS ANGELES - A Hawaii real estate investor and a broker are suing Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his agent, alleging they were unjustly removed from a $240 million housing development after bringing Ohtani on to endorse it. 

What we know:

The lawsuit was filed by developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto. 

They claim that Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, began demanding concessions from their business partner, Kingsbarn Realty Capital, and eventually demanded they be dropped from the deal. 

SUGGESTED: Dodger fans wait in line for hours to receive Shohei Ohtani's replica World Series ring

Hayes and Matsumoto were to be part of the management team for The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort, a luxury housing development. 

Matsumoto was set to be the listing agent for the homes, which average $17.3 million.

A spokesman for Balelo's agency, CAA Baseball, declined to comment.

What they're saying:

The lawsuit claims that Balelo and Ohtani "exploited their celebrity leverage to destabilize and ultimately dismantle Plaintiffs’ role in the project — for no reason other than their own financial self-interest."

It also states, "This case is about abuse of power. Defendants used threats and baseless legal claims to force a business partner to betray its contractual obligations and strip Plaintiffs of the very project they conceived and built."

According to the suit, Balelo "quickly became a disruptive force," threatening to pull Ohtani from the deal if concessions weren't made. 

SUGGSTED: Shohei Ohtani pitches for first time as a Dodger

The lawsuit further alleges that Kingsbarn fired the plaintiffs in a "coordinated ambush" and "openly admitted during the call that Balelo had demanded the terminations and that they were being done solely to placate him."

Hayes and Matsumoto claim they "stand to lose millions of dollars in compensation tied to projected homebuilding profit, construction management fees, and broker commissions."

The backstory:

Hayes and Matsumoto worked on the deal for 11 years before signing an endorsement deal with Ohtani in 2023. Ohtani, called "Japan’s Babe Ruth," was brought in to act as a celebrity spokesperson and was committed to purchasing one of the 14 residences.

SUGGESTED: Shohei Ohtani hits home run on his bobblehead day

According to investment materials, Ohtani was expected to help "elevate the demand and create buzz within the Japanese luxury vacation home market."