Dodgers’ Ohtani and agent accused of sabotaging $240 million real estate deal

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00:00Baseball superstar Shohei Otani is in the midst of trying to lead the Dodgers to a repeat World Series title.

00:06But off the field, he and his agent are being accused of sabotaging a real estate deal in Hawaii,

00:13according to a lawsuit filed Friday in Hawaii's Circuit Court.

00:19Investor Kevin Hayes and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto claim that Otani and agent Nez Bilello

00:26launched an unlawful scheme to interfere with their plans to build a $240 million luxury residential development

00:34within the Mauna Kea Resort on Hawaii's Big Island.

00:38Otani reached an endorsement deal with developers in 2023.

00:42In promotional materials for the project, some of which have been taken offline,

00:47Otani is billed as the first resident and has reportedly committed to buying one of the 14 homes available,

00:53with a price tag starting at $17 million.

00:56The complaint says Otani's agent Bilello inserted himself into every aspect of the relationship

01:02and quickly became a disruptive force, increasingly demanding concessions from Hayes and Matsumoto

01:10before forcing their business partner, Kingsbarn Realty Capital,

01:14to drop them from the deal they spent 11 years putting together.

01:18Bilello and Otani, who were brought into the venture solely for Otani's promotional and branding value,

01:24exploited their celebrity leverage to destabilize and ultimately dismantle plaintiff's role in the project

01:30for no reason other than their own financial self-interest, the lawsuit claims.

01:35Otani is in the second year of a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers, a record when he signed it.

01:42He is having another stellar season, hitting .284 with 43 home runs and recently returned to the pitching mound

01:49after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023.

01:53The defending World Series champions are in first place in the National League West.

01:57Otani is no stranger to off-the-field controversy.

02:01His former interpreter, Ipe Mitsuhara, was sentenced in February to nearly five years in federal prison

02:07for stealing nearly $17 million from the baseball superstar to cover gambling losses.

02:12Neither Otani, his agent or the Dodgers have commented on the lawsuit, according to reports.

02:18In a statement emailed to the Associated Press on Tuesday, King's Barn Realty called the allegations

02:23completely frivolous and without merit, and said they take full responsibility

02:28for removing Hayes and Matsumoto from the project.

02:32For Straight Arrow News, I'm Chris Francis.