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Hawaii real estate developer and broker are suing Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers star, and his agent Nez Balelo for allegedly using their celebrity leverage to sabotage a $240 million luxury housing development on the Big Island's Hapuna Coast. The lawsuit claims that Ohtani and Balelo exploited their influence to destabilize the project and ultimately force the developers out of the deal.

    According to the suit, Ohtani was brought in as an endorser for the project, which was valued at $17 million per house, with 14 residences planned. However, Balelo began making demands for concessions from developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and broker Tomoko Matsumoto before ultimately demanding that their business partner, Kingsbarn Realty Capital, drop them from the deal.

    The lawsuit accuses Ohtani and Balelo of tortious interference and unjust enrichment, alleging that they used threats and baseless claims to force a business partner to betray its contractual obligations. The suit also claims that Ohtani and Balelo tried to undermine the developers' interests in a second venture.

    "This case is about abuse of power," the lawsuit states. "Defendants used their celebrity status to strong-arm a business partner into stripping Plaintiffs of the project they conceived and built."

    The developers, who spent 11 years working on the deal, claim that Ohtani's endorsement was supposed to elevate demand and create buzz in the Japanese luxury vacation home market. However, Balelo allegedly became a "disruptive force" and began making demands for concessions, which ultimately led to the developers being fired.

    The lawsuit seeks to hold Ohtani and Balelo accountable for their actions, saying that they must be held to the same standards as anyone else, regardless of their fame or influence.