International
Japanese TV Host Retires Over Sexual Assault Allegation That Shakes Entertainment Industry
- Masahiro Nakai resigns from Fuji Television following sexual assault allegations and public backlash.
- Major advertisers, including Nissan and Toyota, pull commercials amid claims of a cover-up by Fuji TV.
- Nakai’s resignation marks a turning point in Japan’s entertainment industry’s reckoning with sexual abuse cases.
Japanese TV icon Masahiro Nakai announced his retirement on Thursday following a sexual assault allegation that has shaken Japan’s entertainment industry.
Nakai, a host for Fuji Television and former leader of the legendary boy band SMAP, faced allegations of assaulting a woman at a staff dinner party in 2023. He denied using violence and claimed to have resolved the matter through a settlement, but public backlash persisted.
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In a statement, Nakai expressed deep remorse, saying, “I’m truly sorry for causing trouble and losses to so many people. I’m really, really sorry for saying goodbye this way.”
The scandal led to dozens of companies, including Nissan, Toyota, and Seven & I Holdings, withdrawing their commercials from Fuji Television, which faced criticism for covering up the allegations for six months.
Fuji Television president Koichi Minato admitted the company’s prior knowledge of the incident and announced plans to form an independent committee to investigate. Nakai’s appearances have been scrubbed from programs, and his resignation marks another blow to Japan’s entertainment sector.
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The industry is grappling with a wider reckoning over unspoken cases of sexual misconduct. In 2023, late J-pop executive Johnny Kitagawa was revealed to have abused hundreds of boys and young men over decades, tarnishing the legacy of talent agency Johnny & Associates, which had managed SMAP.
Nakai, who became a household name in the 1990s with SMAP’s success, transitioned into a lucrative television hosting career after the group’s disbandment in 2016.
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