Los Angeles Dodger’s superstar Shohei Ohtani in middle of legal clash over Hawaii Real Estate.
Shohei Ohtani, two-way superstar for the Los Angeles Dodgers, is at the center of an ongoing legal battle along with his agent, Nez Balelo.
On August 8, they were both sued by developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr., real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto, and other affiliates over a $240 million luxury housing development on Hawaii’s Big Island.
According to the plaintiffs, Ohtani and his team’s actions caused Hayes and Matsumoto to be dropped from the project, accusing Ohtani and his camp of “abuse of power” that resulted in “tortious interference and unjust enrichment,” according to AP News.
However, Ohtani’s lawyers have moved to dismiss the case, claiming that the plaintiffs essentially misused the MLB star’s name, image, and likeness (NIL) without correctly authorizing or compensating Ohtani, saying that none of their use of Ohtani’s name was covered by any agreement.
Ohtani’s and Balelo’s lawyers stated that Hayes and Matsumoto acquired rights for a joint venture in 2023, where they owned a minority percentage to use Ohtani’s NIL under an endorsement agreement.
“Unbeknownst to Ohtani and his agent Nez Balelo, plaintiffs exploited Ohtani’s name and photograph to drum up traffic to a website that marketed plaintiffs’ own side project development,” the filing states, according to KTLA. “They engaged in this self-dealing without authorization, and without paying Ohtani for that use, in a selfish and wrongful effort to take advantage of their proximity to the most famous baseball player in the world,” the lawyers added.
Kinsbarn Realty Capital, a majority partner in the joint venture, described the lawsuit as “completely frivolous and without merit.” (AP News).
Ohtani is a three-time MVP and just came off a World Series win with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024. “Nez Balelo has always prioritized Shohei Ohtani’s best interests, including protecting his name, image, and likeness from unauthorized use,” said a lawyer for Ohtani and Balelo, according to KTLA.
The case is currently pending in Hawaii’s First Circuit.
