Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is back in the news for something other than his exploits on the baseball field. And it isn’t for something good. Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, are being sued by a real estate developer and broker for allegedly sabotaging a $240 million luxury development deal in Hawaii.
In the lawsuit, filed by developer Kevin J. Hayes, Sr. and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto in Hawaii Circuit Court on Friday, Ohtani and Balelo are accused of demanding the terminations of Hayes and Matsumoto from the project if they did not agree to increasingly demanding concessions. The developer and broker were allegedly fired after Balelo threatened to pull Ohtani’s endorsement of the $240 million project.
Shohei Ohtani’s agent being blamed
According to The Associated Press, Matsumoto was going to be the listing agent for the homes averaging $17.3 million each. Instead, Balelo “quickly became a disruptive force” and he and Ohtani also attempted to undermine his and Hayes’ interests in a second, neighboring real estate project.
“This case is about abuse of power,” the lawsuit reads. “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.
“Defendants must be held accountable for their actions, not shielded by fame or behind-the-scenes agents acting with impunity. Plaintiffs bring this suit to expose Defendants’ misconduct and to ensure that the rules of contract, fair dealing, and accountability apply equally to all — celebrity or not.”
Ohtani has been an integral part of the project’s marketing
Investment materials for The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort list Shohei Ohtani as the “first resident” of the development. “Ohtani will act as the celebrity spokesperson for the project and has committed to purchasing one of the 14 residences within the project,” it reads. “He also intends to spend significant time at The Vista in the off-season and will construct a small hitting and pitching facility for preseason training.”
The Wall Street Journal also reported on Shohei Ohtani’s involvement in the real estate project in 2024, complete with a photo of him overlooking the land.
“I recently selected my lot in this new development, and I plan on building my home there in the near future that I will be able to enjoy for many years to come,” Ohtani told the Journal.
Ohtani and his agent are being blamed
Hayes and Matsumoto, who were fired last month, claim in the lawsuit that their business partner, Kingsbarn Realty Capital, “openly admitted during [a] call that Balelo had demanded the terminations and that they were being done solely to placate him. Plaintiffs stand to lose millions of dollars in compensation tied to projected homebuilding profit, construction management fees, and broker commissions.”
They also claim in the lawsuit that “over time, it became increasingly obvious that Kingsbarn was more concerned about preserving its relationship with Ohtani than honoring its obligations to its business partners.”