Court Petition by Baseball Star Shohei Ohtani to Disregard Lawsuit Filed by Developer
In a recent turn of events, Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, have filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit that accuses them of tortious interference in a $240 million Hawaii development project.
The lawsuit, filed by two Hawaii-based real estate developers, Hayes and Matsumoto, claims that Ohtani and Balelo manipulated the project, resulting in lost deals that had been in the making for over a decade. However, the lawyers for Ohtani assert that the developers' lawsuit is frivolous.
According to a statement reprinted by The Athletic, Laura Smolowe, an attorney representing Ohtani and Balelo, characterizes the developers' lawsuit as a poorly-constructed attempt to distract from their own failures and shortcomings. Smolowe's statement suggests that the developers' lawsuit is a desperate attempt by plaintiffs to distract from their myriad of failures and blatant misappropriation of Ohtani's rights.
The motion to dismiss alleges that the plaintiffs used Ohtani's name, image, and likeness in a 'side project' development not subject to the terms of the already-agreed-upon contract. Additionally, it objects to Ohtani's inclusion as a defendant, characterizing it as an 'inappropriate and unprofessional attempt to exert maximum leverage'.
The motion states that Balelo threatened to take legal action over the allegedly unauthorized use of Ohtani's likeness, prompting the plaintiffs to pre-emptively file their own lawsuit. Furthermore, it is alleged that the plaintiffs, without authorization, exploited Ohtani's name and photograph to drum up traffic for their side project development.
The individuals behind the development of the site that unauthorizedly used Ohtani's name, image, and likeness to promote the project have not been publicly identified. Balelo allegedly demanded concessions throughout the project's duration, including the removal of plaintiffs Hayes and Matsumoto.
The original lawsuit accuses Balelo of engineering a calculated and unlawful scheme to interfere with the development project. However, the motion to dismiss maintains that Balelo has always prioritized Ohtani's best interests, including protecting his name, image, and likeness from unauthorized use.
This development comes as a surprise in the sports and real estate worlds, with many awaiting the court's decision on the motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
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