A Hawaii real-estate developer and broker have sued Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, alleging they derailed a planned $240 million luxury housing development on the Big Island’s Hapuna Coast. The complaint, filed in Hawaii Circuit Court on 8 August, claims the pair used Ohtani’s celebrity to pressure business partner Kingsbarn Realty Capital into firing the plaintiffs from the project known as The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort. Developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and broker Tomoko Matsumoto say they spent 11 years assembling the deal and, in 2023, enlisted Ohtani as a promotional figurehead and prospective buyer. According to the suit, Balelo repeatedly demanded concessions, then insisted Kingsbarn remove the two plaintiffs, costing them millions of dollars in expected profits, management fees and commissions. The filing accuses Ohtani and Balelo of tortious interference and unjust enrichment. Marketing materials positioned Ohtani as the project’s “first resident,” committed to purchasing one of 14 planned homes that average $17.3 million each. A spokesman for Balelo’s agency, CAA Baseball, declined to comment, and Kingsbarn did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Ohtani, 31, is a five-time All-Star and three-time MVP who signed a record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in 2024.