Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and his agent Nez Balelo are being sued by a real-estate investor and broker who were fired from a $240 million project in Hawaii, according to the Associated Press.
Developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto filed the lawsuit in the Hawaii Circuit Court on Friday, alleging they were pushed out of the deal due to increasing demands from Ohtani and Balelo.
The dispute stems from Ohtani's involvement in The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort. Ohtani signed an endorsement deal for the project in 2023, and was expected to act as a spokesperson and own one of the 14 residences on the property.
The project wanted Ohtani on board to "create buzz within the Japanese luxury vacation home market, which is a primary target audience for the project," per an investment brochure.
It was believed Ohtani's attachment would help the developers sell properties. The brochure also teased that Ohtani would "spend significant time at The Vista in the offseason" and that he would "construct a small hitting and pitching facility" on the premises, per the Associated Press.
But Hayes and Matsumoto alleged that Balelo started making "threats and baseless legal claims" to push the two out of the deal. They accused Balelo and Ohtani of "abuse of power," adding that Balelo "became a disruptive force" after the deal was signed.
Balelo reportedly made demands of Kingsbarn Realty Capital, one of the partners involved in the deal. The lawsuit accused Kingsbarn of "capitulating to Balelo’s every whim" so it wouldn't lose Ohtani's endorsement. Eventually, Balelo was accused of engaging in "a coordinated ambush" to get Hayes and Matsumoto fired.
The lawsuit claimed Kingsbarn admitted Balelo demanded Hayes and Matsumoto be removed from the deal, per the AP.
“Kingsbarn openly admitted during the call 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 emerged as one of the best players in baseball after leaving Japan to play in MLB in 2018. After some excellent seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, he signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023.
In his first season with the team, Ohtani helped lead the Dodgers to a World Series title.
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