Japan’s Fuji TV executives resign over sex scandal involving former boy band star

Japanese network Fuji Television and its parent company said Monday that its president and chairman are stepping down immediately to take responsibility for a widening sexual abuse scandal involving Japan’s top television celebrities.

The scandal centers on Masahiro Nakai, former leader of popular Japanese boy band SMAP, and his affair with a woman in 2023 at a dinner party allegedly hosted by Fuji TV employees.

The allegations surfaced in magazine articles in December and have since sparked claims of a systematic cover-up by Fuji TV executives. Public outrage over the lack of transparency and explanation at the network’s news conference earlier this month led to advertising losses at Fuji, one of the networks Nakai worked for.

Koichi Minato, president of Fuji Television Network, said his company had mishandled the case.

“We are very sorry that we mishandled the case due to our lack of understanding of human rights and corporate governance…and our response to the woman involved was inadequate,” Minato said. We are very sorry to have damaged our credibility.

Car manufacturers Nissan and Toyota are among the companies that have released ads from Fuji TV. BBC reported.

According to Minato, the case violates the woman’s human rights, and for reasons of privacy, he did not provide details. He said it was treated as a “special” case requiring the utmost confidentiality and sensitivity to the woman’s mental health and was shared with a small group of officials. The company continued to allow Nakai to appear at Fuji shows for a year and six months, but he couldn’t hide the fact that he was a big star.

Minato said he did not think the incident was sexual harassment and that the matter was not reported to the company’s compliance office until after the magazine’s report.

He also denied the involvement of a Fuji TV employee but said allegations that the employee had previously organized barbecues and other parties for Nakai should be investigated.

Fuji officials have admitted that female promoters and other female employees have attended parties for stars, talent agency executives and sponsors in the past, though they have denied any sexual activity. Minato said senior officials believed outdated gender roles were lax and now needed to “update their thinking.”

Nakai last Thursday He announced his retirement from show business The #MeToo movement, which began in Western countries in the 2010s, has been seen as a latecomer in Japan, where a series of sexual assault allegations have surfaced in recent years. He said he was responsible for this “problem” and the huge business loss.

“I’m the only one to blame for everything” and “sincerely apologize,” Nakai said.

He issued a statement saying that some of the previously reported “are different from reality”.

Minato said that the last time he saw the woman was when she visited his office to tell him that she was on leave.

Shukan Bunshun Weekly, one of the magazines that exposed the scandal, said Fuji TV had long used its female presenters to entertain stars like Nakai.

The companies’ chairman, Shuji Kanoh, resigned at a board meeting before a Jan. 17 news conference, officials said.

Japan’s entertainment industry has been in the grip of a wave of sexual assaults, including the alleged assault of hundreds of men and youth against superstar Johnny Kitagawa, whose now-defunct agency Johnny & Associates managed many boy bands. Nakai owned property.

Hitoshi Matsumoto, 61, one of Japan’s most popular comedians, has been accused of sexually assaulting two women.

After strong opposition and criticism, even from its own employees, Fuji TV and its parent company announced at a board meeting a week ago that they have formed an independent legal team to present in March.

While the tabloid’s report about Nakai created a frenzy of coverage, most Japanese media took a cautious approach, referring to the allegations as sexual “problems” or misconduct.

Some media have reported that there is a culture of wining and dining for top presenters in the Japanese entertainment industry, with female employees being invited to join such parties.

AFP

contributed to this report.