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lawsuit filed in Hawaii's First Circuit Court alleges that Shohei Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, sabotaged real estate developers Kevin Hayes and Tomoko Matsumoto. The complaint claims they launched an "unlawful scheme" to interfere with the duo's plans for a $240 million luxury residential development at Mauna Kea Resort on Hawaii's Big Island. In 2023, Ohtani was reportedly set to endorse the project.

    However, Balelo allegedly became a disruptive force in the relationship, stonewalling and making hostile demands. He threatened to have Ohtani back out of the deal unless Hayes and Matsumoto conceded to his increasing demands. The lawsuit claims that Ohtani and Balelo pressured other investors to dump Hayes and Matsumoto from the project without warning or opportunity for response.

    The pretext for their termination was a fabricated allegation that they had misused Ohtani's name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights by including him on a website promoting the project. The lawsuit seeks damages for wrongful termination and other alleged misdeeds. Balelo and his agency, Creative Artists Agency, have been involved in Ohtani's lucrative contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which includes backloaded payments scheduled years after Ohtani's likely retirement from baseball.