Masahiro Nakai (53), a member of the Japanese national idol group SMAP, expressed his intention to continue his activities after apologizing for allegations of rape, but various broadcasting companies are discussing his departure.
On the 13th, Japanese entertainment media Sponichi Annex reported, "Each broadcasting company that has Masahiro Nakai as a regular cast member is conducting an investigation."
According to the report, Masahiro Nakai, who has caused controversy due to rape allegations, is currently appearing in five regular programs broadcasted by Nippon Television, TBS, TV Asahi, and Fuji Television, and each broadcasting company has begun investigations. Representatives from the broadcasting companies are trying to determine whether Nakai has committed any human rights violations against other individuals.
In this regard, a source stated in an interview with Sponichi Annex, "We will make a final decision on whether to cancel the program or Nakai's departure based on the opinions of the investigators," adding, "There is not much time until the spring reorganization. Even if a decision is made to suspend the program, it may not be possible to align the start of a new program with the April reorganization period."
Currently, broadcasting companies are either suspending the programs featuring Masahiro Nakai or withholding his appearances. However, they have not yet confirmed his departure or the cancellation of the programs, citing that the situation has not been clearly resolved.
The controversy surrounding Masahiro Nakai's alleged rape emerged through reports from Weekly Bunshun and others on December 19 of last year. According to the reports, Nakai was supposed to have a dinner with a 20-something female announcer, referred to as A, and a Fuji TV official, referred to as B. However, since B did not attend, Nakai ended up meeting only A, and due to an incident that occurred during this meeting, Nakai reportedly paid A 90 million yen (approximately 840,000 USD) as a settlement.
While the details of what happened are not known, the fact that a large settlement was paid raised questions among netizens about whether it was indeed rape. Some media outlets reported that Nakai had forced A into sexual acts, constituting rape. A stated in an interview, "I cannot say anything myself," but expressed that she "cannot forgive the perpetrator (Nakai) and Fuji TV." There are speculations that A was a Fuji TV announcer, but her identity has not been disclosed.
In relation to this, Nakai, who had not previously commented, issued an apology on his official website on the 9th, three weeks after the controversy arose, stating, "I am very sorry for causing trouble due to this incident," and added, "There are aspects of the reports that are not true, which is painful for me."
He continued, "I have refrained from speaking due to my obligation to maintain confidentiality with the other party," but mentioned that his activities are being affected, stating, "I will try to convey what I can within the scope of what I can say."
Nakai acknowledged, "It is true that there was a problem. And it is also true that a settlement was reached through representatives of both parties. I believe I seriously considered and responded to the other party's proposal to resolve the issue. Also, there was absolutely no violence, such as raising my hand, as reported in some media."
He further claimed, "With the settlement reached, I will be able to continue my entertainment activities without hindrance." Regarding the allegations that Fuji TV and other officials were involved in this incident, he stated, "There is absolutely no involvement of anyone other than the parties involved."
Meanwhile, Masahiro Nakai debuted in 1988 as a member of the Japanese national idol group SMAP. Since then, he has been loved as the main MC of various programs and has also worked as a sports commentator and actor.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
