Former Boy Group Member’s Past Sexual Misconduct Uncovered During A Recent Investigation
Content Warning
A third-party panel that was tasked with investigating a series of scandals uncovered a star’s sexual misconduct that previously went unreported.
The panel, led by Lawyer Takeuchi Akira was commissioned by Fuji TV to investigate a string of controversies involving Fuji TV stars, such as Nakai Masahiro. Earlier this month, the panel found Nakai, a former member of the Japanese boy group SMAP, guilty of sexually assaulting a female Fuji TV newscaster in 2023.
Disturbing Text Messages Leading Up To Former Boy Group Member’s Sex Crime Exposed
The panel’s 300+ page report revealed a culture of harassment at Fuji TV that has existed for at least a decade, disturbing text messages sent by Nakai leading up to the sexual assault, and more. While investigating Nakai, the panel uncovered a previous incident that took place two years before the sexual assault.
In 2021, a production manager identified as “B” arranged a meeting at a hotel suite. B, Nakai, an unnamed male TV star, and two female newscasters were in attendance. At one point, Nakai and the unnamed star were left alone with the female newscasters. One of these newscasters told the panel that Nakai sexually harassed her that night.
This was far from the first time that female Fuji TV employees had been sexually harassed by their male co-workers. The panel’s report mentioned a similar incident that took place over ten years ago. Like in the case of Nakai, this incident began as a business gathering. Halfway through, a female employee was left alone with a male TV star, who then proceeded to strip off his pants and underwear in front of her.
It is unclear if the female newscaster Nakai sexually harassed in 2021 is still working at the broadcaster. The female newscaster who was sexually assaulted by Nakai at his home in 2023 suffered PTSD after the assault and quit Fuji TV in 2023. She released the following statement through her lawyer after the panel completed their investigation:
The damage I have suffered will never go away and what I have lost will never be recovered. I sincerely hope that such things will never happen again, not only in the media entertainment industry, but also in society as a whole.
— Female newscaster
