Japanese TV host Masahiro Nakai, who was a member of the former pop group SMAP, said Thursday he has retired from show business following alleged sexual misconduct that led broadcasters to suspend programs featuring him.
“As of today, I will retire from entertainment activities,” Nakai, 52, said on his fan club website, sending shockwaves to his admirers across Japan and other parts of Asia.
“I am sorry for the inconvenience and losses I have caused to so many people,” he also said.
The development comes as Japan’s entertainment industry continues to be hit by revelations of sex-related scandals, including multiple accusations of abuse by the founder of the male talent agency formerly known as Johnny & Associates Inc. that pushed SMAP and other groups to stardom.
File photo shows Masahiro Nakai speaking at a press conference in Tokyo in February 2020. (Kyodo)
Nakai’s scandal also spilled over to Fuji Television Network Inc. for its alleged involvement in the matter and the lack of transparency in its explanation, with many major Japanese companies pulling ads from the Tokyo-based broadcaster in a rare move.
According to the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine, what was planned as a meal in June 2023 with employees of Fuji TV ended up with only Nakai and a woman present, leading to nonconsensual sexual activity and a 90 million yen ($575,000) out-of-court settlement.
Without specifically mentioning what happened, Nakai said in his message to his fans that he takes “full responsibility” and offered apologies to the woman.
He said talks on suspending TV programs and the cancellation of contracts with TV networks and sponsors had “all ended,” leading to his announcement on Thursday.
“I will continue to deal with various issues sincerely and in good faith,” he said. “I am really, really sorry for parting with you (fans) in this way.”
A representative for Nakai declined to comment to Kyodo News about the details, saying, “What has been reported by weekly magazines has already been resolved and there is a nondisclosure agreement between the parties.”
Nakai gained popularity as the leader of SMAP, a Japanese male idol group that performed for nearly three decades until it disbanded in 2016. SMAP, an acronym for Sports Music Assemble People, was also popular across Asia.
He regularly appeared on TV programs as a host before the sexual misconduct allegation surfaced late last year.
A monitor on a Tokyo street shows the news on Jan. 23, 2025, that Masahiro Nakai, a popular TV host who was a member of the former pop group SMAP and is embroiled in a sexual misconduct scandal, has announced his retirement from show business. (Kyodo)
In a joint statement, three other former SMAP members said they were “lost for words.”
“We have not yet sorted out our feelings as it happened so suddenly,” said Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori.
Some Chinese fans were saddened by the abrupt exit of Nakai, saying through Weibo — China’s equivalent of the social media platform X — that the path “of seeing the revival of SMAP has been permanently closed.”
“What should fans do as he leaves show biz being accused by many people,” one post showed.
In Japan, questions arose over Nakai’s response to the scandal.
“How he sought to take responsibility all by himself is typical of Mr. Masahiro Nakai, but it leaves fans who wanted to support him bitterly disappointed,” script writer Mihoko Yamada said.
Nakai should have held a press conference to offer his own account while making sure that the victim will not have to suffer further from the move, she said.
Nakai left Johnny & Associates in 2020, before the talent agency became under fire over multiple claims of sexual abuse against aspiring teen pop singers by its founder Johnny Kitagawa that continued for decades before his death in 2019.
Johnny’s, which was later renamed, has admitted the abuse took place and offered redress to the victims.
With TV companies and the public becoming more sensitive to sexual assaults and other types of harassment in Japan, another well-known TV personality Hitoshi Matsumoto went into hiatus in January 2024 after Shukan Bunshun reported that he allegedly forced several women into sexual activities in 2015.
Matsumoto, one half of popular comedy duo “Downtown,” filed a lawsuit against the magazine’s publisher over defamation but later dropped the suit.
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