Shohei Ohtani breaks silence on alleged lawsuit over $240,000,000 Hawaii real estate deal

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani continues to make headlines this season. However, the Japanese star has been in the news for the wrong reasons this week.

The three-time MVP is being sued by a real estate agent and a broker from Hawaii for allegedly sabotaging a $240 million luxury-housing development that Shohei Ohtani was endorsing.

The two-day phenom broke his silence on the reports after the NL West team were swept by the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.

"I'm focused on what the team is doing and doing everything in my power to make sure we bring a W on the field."

Although Ohtani remains unbothered by the reported lawsuit, this is the second time in two years that his name has been dragged into controversy. He was a victim of a gambling scandal involving his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara last year.

The lawsuit alleged that Ohtani and his agent Nez Balelo misused their power in the endorsement deal they signed in 2023.

"Balelo and [Ohtani], who were brought into the venture solely for [Ohtani's] promotional and branding value, exploited their celebrity leverage to destabilize and ultimately dismantle Plaintiffs' role in the project -- for no reason other than their own financial self-interest," the lawsuit stated.

Shohei Ohtani reflects on Dodgers dropping to second spot in the NL West

Amid the lawsuit, Shohei Ohtani expressed concern over the Dodgers' form that has seen them slip to the second spot in the NL West after the sweep against his former team.

"Obviously, it doesn't feel good to fall into second place and to lose a lot of these games," Ohtani said after Saturday's loss. "We're doing everything in our power, having close meetings, doing everything that we can to try to right the ship. We just have to do a better job."

Wednesday's loss in the series finale was their sixth loss against the Angels this season and the fourth consecutive. The Dodgers have slipped to the second spot for the first time since April 27 with the San Diego Padres climbing to the top with a 69-52 record, holding a 1.0 game lead over their rivals.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash