Shohei Ohtani, Agent Sued For Allegedly Sabotaging $240 Million In Real Estate Deal

For being one of the most private superstar athletes ever, Shohei Ohtani has developed a bit of a knack for getting caught up in controversy.

While the sports gambling story from a year ago involving Ohtani and his now-former interpreter, and all the conspiracy theories attached to it, have seemingly been put in the rearview mirror, the Los Angeles Dodgers star and his agent are being sued by a Hawaii real estate investor and a broker.

The lawsuit was filed in Hawaii Circuit Court on August 8, with developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and broker Tomoko Matsumoto alleging that Ohtani and his agent, Nex Balelo, got them terminated from a $240 million housing development on Hawaii's Hapuna Coast. The houses in the development had an average price of $17.3 million each.

The suit alleges that Balelo demanded concessions from Hayes and Matsumoto before demanding that their Las Vegas-based business partner, Kingsbarn Realty Capital, drop them from the real estate deal. The suit says the developers spent 11 years working on the agreement and "as part of a bold marketing strategy" signed an endorsement deal with the Dodgers' star in 2023.

"Balelo and Otani (redaction spelling in the lawsuit), who were brought into the venture solely for Otani’s promotional and branding value, exploited their celebrity leverage to destabilize and ultimately dismantle Plaintiffs’ role in the project — for no reason other than their own financial self-interest," the lawsuit claims.

Shohei Ohtani and his agent are being sued in Hawaii. (Photo by Masterpress/Getty Images)

Hayes and Matsumoto allege that Ohtani and Balelo also attempted to undermine their interest in a neighboring venture.

"This case is about abuse of power," the lawsuit says. "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."

According to the New York Post, investment materials for the development, to be known as The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort, were still online as of Monday night. They listed Matsumoto and Hayes as part of the management team, along with Kingsbarn out of Vegas.

Shohei was reportedly listed as the first resident of the development. (Peter Aiken-Imagn Images and Denny Medley-Imagn Images)

Ohtani was referred to as ‘Japan’s Babe Ruth' and the ‘1st resident’ in the materials.

"Ohtani will act as the celebrity spokesperson for the project and has committed to purchasing one of the 14 residences within the project," the brochure says. "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."

"We see Shohei Ohtani’s homeownership as having a significant impact on the global exposure of the project and expect to accelerate the pace of sales, thereby helping us achieve our pricing objectives," the brochure continued.

Ohtani was listed in the brochure as being the first resident of the property, which was an attempt to appeal to both Japanese and American high-end buyers.

In July, Kingsbarn fired both Hayes and Matsumoto in what the suit called a "coordinated ambush" along with allegations that Balelo became a "disruptive force" with threats to pull Ohtani from the deal if concessions were not made.