S
hohei Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, are facing a lawsuit from a real estate investor and broker in Hawaii. The plaintiff claims that Ohtani's celebrity status was used to strong-arm them out of a $240 million luxury housing development.

    According to the suit, Balelo made increasingly demanding concessions, threatening to pull Ohtani from the deal if their demands weren't met. The developers allegedly capitulated to Balelo's whims, prioritizing their relationship with Ohtani over their contractual obligations.

    "This case is about abuse of power," the lawsuit states. "Defendants used threats and baseless legal claims to force a business partner to betray its contractual obligations."

    Ohtani and Balelo are accused of tortious interference and unjust enrichment, as well as undermining their interests in another venture. The lawsuit seeks to hold them accountable for their actions, rather than shielding them behind their fame or the influence of agents acting with impunity.

    This is not Ohtani's first off-field drama involving large sums of money. His former interpreter was sentenced to prison for theft and fraud after stealing from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts.