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lawsuit filed in Hawaii Circuit Court claims Shohei Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, pushed to cut two partners from a $240 million luxury housing project on the Big Island's Hapuna Coast. The developers, Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and Tomoko Matsumoto, allege that Ohtani and Balelo demanded more concessions before insisting that their business partner, Kingsbarn Realty Capital, remove them from the deal.

    The lawsuit accuses Ohtani and Balelo of tortious interference and unjust enrichment, claiming they exploited their celebrity leverage to destabilize and dismantle the plaintiffs' role in the project for personal financial gain. The developers say Ohtani and Balelo also tried to harm their interests in a separate nearby project.

    Hayes, with 40 years of development experience, and Matsumoto, who was set to be the listing agent for homes averaging $17.3 million each, claim they worked 11 years on the project before signing an endorsement deal with Ohtani in 2023 as part of a marketing strategy targeting the Japanese luxury vacation home market.

    The lawsuit states that Ohtani's involvement was expected to boost demand and attract attention, but instead, he allegedly used his celebrity status to exploit the developers. Marketing materials for The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort listed Hayes and Matsumoto as part of the management team with Kingsbarn, calling Ohtani "Japan's Babe Ruth" and highlighting his commitment to purchasing a residence within the project.

    The lawsuit seeks accountability for what it calls an abuse of power, claiming that Ohtani and Balelo used threats and baseless legal claims to force the business partner to betray its contractual obligations.