A real estate investor and a broker based in Hawaii have filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his agent, claiming they conspired to get them fired from The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort, a $240 million luxury housing development.
The Associated Press reports developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto recruited Ohtani to endorse a new development on the Big Island’s Hapuna Coast. In the lawsuit filed in Hawaii Circuit Court, Hayes and Matsumoto accused Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, demanded a growing number of concessions before insisting Kingsbarn Realty Capital, the plaintiffs’ business partner, drop them from the deal.
“Balelo and Otani, who were brought into the venture solely for Otani’s promotional and branding value, exploited their celebrity leverage to destabilize and ultimately dismantle Plaintiffs’ role in the project — for no reason other than their own financial self-interest,” the lawsuit stated, adding that Ohtani and Balelo also attempted to interfere with their interests in another venture.
The lawsuit said the developers spent 11 years working on the project and signed an endorsement deal in 2023 with Ohtani. The investment materials for The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort, which still list Hayes and Matsumoto as part of the management team, said Ohtani “has committed to purchasing one of the 14 residences within the project. He also intends to spend significant time at The Vista in the off-season and will construct a small hitting and pitching facility for preseason training.”
However, the lawsuit accused Balelo of threatening to withdraw Ohtani’s involvement if concessions weren’t made. The lawsuit accused Kingsbarn of being “more concerned about preserving its relationship with Otani than honoring its obligations to its business partners.”
“Kingsbarn openly admitted during the call that Balelo had demanded the terminations and that they were being done solely to placate him,” the lawsuit continued. “Plaintiffs stand to lose millions of dollars in compensation tied to projected homebuilding profit, construction management fees, and broker commissions.”
Ohtani did not publicly comment on the lawsuit.
Photo courtesy of Shohei Ohtani’s Instagram page
