Shohei Ohtani is enjoying another strong season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and is back to competing as a two-way player while the team looks to get on track as the postseason approaches.
But while Ohtani and the Dodgers are now in a division race with the San Diego Padres, his name is connected to another off-the-field matter.
Two real estate developers based in Hawaii are suing Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, according to Sam Blum of the Athletic:
Two Hawaii-based real estate developers are suing Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, claiming Balelo got them fired from a $240 million luxury housing project that was a decade-plus in the making.
The lawsuit claims that Balelo, employed by the Creative Arts Agency, conducted “a calculated and unlawful scheme” to interfere with the development, of which Ohtani was a public-facing sponsor. Ohtani purchased a $17 million home in the development, part of the Mauna Kea Resort.
The plaintiffs, Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and Tomoko Matsumoto, appear to have grievances with Balelo, with their representation confirming that Ohtani’s agent was the only person their clients dealt with.
It raises the question of the intent behind including Ohtani in the lawsuit:
“This is just a very standard business dispute,” a person familiar with the defendant’s side of the case told The Athletic. They were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, citing the litigation. “It’s sad that someone would unfairly attack innocent parties as a way of distracting from their own bad behavior.”
This is not the first time that Ohtani has found himself included in a scandal since joining the Dodgers. Ohtani’s potential involvement in a gambling scandal involving former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was questioned.
Ohtani was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing once it became clear that he was a victim, but it did cause him to lose sleep over being falsely implicated.
Shohei Ohtani pitching against Angels
The lawsuit comes at a pretty crucial part of the Dodgers schedule as they try to hold back the Padres in the NL West standings as a result of their poor play over the past 30 games.
It also occurred a day before Ohtani is set to pitch against his former team the first time. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts doesn’t believe Ohtani will be emotional even with the added weight of it coming at his old stadium.
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