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os Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his agent Nez Balelo are being sued by Hawaii real estate moguls Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and Tomoko Matsumoto, who claim they were sabotaged out of a $240 million luxury property development on the Big Island. The pair had approached Ohtani to promote their project, but allege that shortly after bringing him onboard, Balelo went behind their backs and tried to get them fired from the venture.

    Hayes and Matsumoto claim they face being axed from the project, leaving them at risk of losing millions in economic entitlements. The lawsuit accuses Ohtani and Balelo of tortious interference and unjust enrichment, seeking unspecified damages. It also alleges that they attempted to undermine Hayes' and Matsumoto's interests in a second neighboring venture.

    The suit claims that Ohtani and Balelo used their celebrity leverage to destabilize the project for their own financial gain, exploiting their partnership with Kingsbarn Realty Capital. Investment materials for The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort listed Hayes and Matsumoto as part of the management team, alongside Kingsbarn, but after Ohtani's involvement, they were suddenly removed.

    The lawsuit states that Balelo quickly became a disruptive force, threatening to pull Ohtani from the deal unless concessions were made. Kingsbarn eventually capitulated to Balelo's demands, firing Hayes and Matsumoto in what the suit calls a "coordinated ambush." The pair now stand to lose millions of dollars in compensation tied to projected homebuilding profit, construction management fees, and broker commissions.

    This is not Ohtani's first legal issue; his ex-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was sentenced to 57 months in prison for stealing $17 million from the MLB star.