TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese community Fuji Tv and its guardian firm mentioned Monday that its president and chairperson have been resigning instantly to take accountability for a widening intercourse assault scandal linked to certainly one of Japan’s high TV celebrities.
The scandal facilities on Masahiro Nakai, a former chief of Japan’s once-hugely standard boy band SMAP, and his pricey settlement with a lady over the alleged intercourse assault at a 2023 ceremonial dinner that Fuji TV workers allegedly helped to prepare.
The allegations surfaced in journal articles in December and have since triggered claims of systematic cover-ups by Fuji TV executives. The general public outrage over the dearth of transparency and clarification on the community’s earlier information convention this month have led to an avalanche of promoting losses at Fuji, one of many networks the place Nakai labored.
Fuji Tv Community President Koichi Minato mentioned his firm mishandled the case.
“We are very sorry that we mishandled the case because of our lack of awareness about human rights and corporate governance … and as a result our responses to the involved woman were inadequate,” Minato mentioned. “We are very sorry to have destroyed our credibility.”
Minato mentioned the case violated the lady’s human rights, with out offering particulars on grounds of privateness. He mentioned it was dealt with as an “extraordinary” case requiring most confidentiality and sensitivity for the lady’s psychological well being and was shared by a small group of officers. The corporate had continued permitting Nakai to seem on Fuji exhibits for a yr and 6 months, he mentioned, however denied overlaying up the case as a result of it concerned an enormous star.
Minato mentioned he didn’t suppose what occurred was sexual assault and that the case was not reported to the corporate’s compliance workplace till the journal report got here out
He additionally denied a Fuji TV worker’s involvement however mentioned allegations that the worker had beforehand organized barbecue and different events for Nakai wanted to be investigated.
Fuji officers additionally acknowledged that feminine announcers and different feminine workers have up to now participated at events for stars, expertise company executives and sponsors, although they denied any sexual providers. Minato mentioned he believed high officers have been complacent concerning the outdated gender roles they usually now have to “update their mindset.”
Nakai final Thursday introduced his retirement from the present enterprise, which has already been hit by a collection of sexual assault allegations in recent times in what’s seen as a delayed #MeToo motion that started in Western nations within the 2010s. He mentioned he was taking accountability for the “trouble” and large enterprise losses because of this. He had earlier denied any violence or involvement of a 3rd celebration.
Minato mentioned he final noticed the sufferer final summer time when she visited his workplace to inform him she was quitting.
Shukan Bunshun weekly, one of many magazines that uncovered the scandal, additionally alleged that Fuji TV has lengthy exploited its feminine announcers to entertain stars like Nakai.
The chair of the businesses, Shuji Kanoh, was additionally resigning in a call made at a board assembly previous to the information convention, officers mentioned.
Japan’s leisure trade is within the midst of a wave of sexual assault instances, together with the abuses of a whole lot of boys and younger males by late expertise mogul Johnny Kitagawa, whose now-defunct company Johnny & Associates managed many boy bands, together with the one to which Nakai belonged, SMAP.
Following large protests and criticism from even their very own workers, Fuji TV and its guardian firm introduced after a board assembly final week that they’ve arrange an unbiased panel of attorneys to be submitted by March.
Author : LasVegasNews
Publish date : 2025-01-27 15:24:06
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