Hawaii real estate investor Kevin Hayes and broker Tomoko Matsumoto are suing Shohei Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, for allegedly causing their dismissal from a $240 million luxury housing development. The lawsuit claims Balelo leveraged Ohtani's celebrity status to demand concessions and ultimately get Hayes and Matsumoto fired from the project, resulting in significant financial losses for them. Ohtani and Balelo are accused of tortious interference and unjust enrichment. CAA Baseball, Balelo's agency, declined to comment.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.