Real estate deal worth $240 million allegedly coerced by Shohei Ohtani's agent due to his high profile status.
In an unexpected turn of events, Shohei Ohtani, the two-way superstar for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and his agent Nez Balelo are facing a lawsuit from Hawaii real estate investor Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and broker Tomoko Matsumoto. The lawsuit, filed via the Associated Press, accuses Ohtani and Balelo of tortious interference and unjust enrichment, alleging they exploited Ohtani's celebrity endorsement deal, signed in 2023, to destabilize the plaintiffs' roles in a luxury housing development project on Hawaii's Hapuna Coast.
The project, which has been in the works for over a decade, features homes averaging $17.3 million and was planned to leverage Ohtani's celebrity to attract affluent buyers, particularly in the Japanese market. Ohtani was not only an endorser but also a buyer, with plans to live there offseason and build a private training facility.
The lawsuit details a series of demands made by Ohtani and Balelo, which, if not met, threatened to result in Ohtani withdrawing from the deal. These demands, coupled with baseless legal claims, are said to have pressured the developers into firing Hayes and Matsumoto, causing them to lose millions in compensation linked to homebuilding profits, construction management fees, and broker commissions.
The legal battle appears ongoing as of August 2025, with no public resolution announced. Ohtani, in a public statement, has maintained that he remains focused on baseball and is not distracted by the lawsuit.
Interestingly, this is not the first time Ohtani's associates have been embroiled in legal issues. Previously, his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, served a prison sentence for theft and fraud, having stolen money from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts using funds from Ohtani's bank account.
As the case unfolds, it raises questions about the use of celebrity status and the potential for abuse of power in business dealings. The lawsuit describes the case as one of abuse of power, stating that Ohtani and Balelo used threats and baseless legal claims to force a business partner to betray its contractual obligations and strip the plaintiffs of their project.
Ohtani, who is vying for a fourth MVP award in the last five years for the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers, is the first person since 2018 to hit 40-plus home runs in three consecutive seasons. Despite the legal drama, Ohtani continues to make headlines on the baseball field, leaving the outcome of the lawsuit yet to be seen.
[1] Associated Press. (2023). Shohei Ohtani sued over luxury housing development in Hawaii. Retrieved from https://www.apnews.com/article/business-baseball-hawaii-sports-real-estate-lawsuits-141476e4169100d13968c8361b4c850a
[2] ESPN. (2023). Shohei Ohtani sued over luxury housing development in Hawaii. Retrieved from https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35426373/shohei-ohtani-sued-over-luxury-housing-development-hawaii
[3] Los Angeles Times. (2023). Shohei Ohtani sued over luxury housing development in Hawaii. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2023-08-01/shohei-ohtani-sued-over-luxury-housing-development-in-hawaii
[4] Sports Illustrated. (2023). Shohei Ohtani sued over luxury housing development in Hawaii. Retrieved from https://www.si.com/mlb/2023/08/01/shohei-ohtani-hawaii-housing-development-lawsuit
[5] MLB.com. (2025). Shohei Ohtani: 'I'm focused on baseball.' Retrieved from https://www.mlb.com/news/shohei-ohtani-focused-on-baseball-amid-hawaii-lawsuit/c-342103072
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