Dodgers star Ohtani, agent accused of sabotaging $240M Hawaii real estate project
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According to the lawsuit filed in Hawaii Circuit Court on Friday, Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, increasingly demanded concessions from developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto before demanding that their business partner, Kingsbarn Realty Capital, drop them from the deal.
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'Balelo and Ohtani, who were brought into the venture solely for Ohtani'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 claims.
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The suit accuses Ohtani and Balelo of tortious interference and unjust enrichment. Hayes, a developer with 40 years of experience, and Matsumoto, who was to be the listing agent for the houses averaging $17.3 million each, say that Ohtani and Balelo also tried to undermine their interests in a second, neighbouring venture.
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A spokesman for Balelo's agency, CAA Baseball, declined comment. Attempts to reach Kingsbarn officials for comment were not immediately successful.
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'This case is about abuse of power,' the lawsuit says. 'Defendants used threats and baseless legal claims to force a business partner to betray its contractual obligations and strip plaintiffs of the very project they conceived and built.
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'Defendants must be held accountable for their actions, not shielded by fame or behind-the-scenes agents acting with impunity. Plaintiffs bring this suit to expose defendants' misconduct and to ensure that the rules of contract, fair dealing, and accountability apply equally to all — celebrity or not.'
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Ohtani, 31, arrived from Japan in 2018 as perhaps the most heralded international star in baseball history, with an ability to both pitch and hit that made him doubly valuable to his team. A five-time All-Star and three-time Most Valuable Player, he signed a record 10-year, $700-million contract with the Dodgers before last season and helped the team win the 2024 World Series.
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Investment materials for The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort, which remained online on Monday night, listed Hayes and Matsumoto as part of the management team, along with Kingsbarn. It called Ohtani 'Japan's Babe Ruth' and the '1st Resident,' giving him top billing ahead of the iconic Mauna Kea Resort, 'one of the most celebrated hotels in Hawaii,' Hapuna Beach, 'rated the #1 beach in America by Conde Nast Traveler' and two golf courses — one designed by Arnold Palmer, the other by Robert Trent Jones Sr.
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