The Japanese government said Thursday it has pulled advertisements from Fuji Television in the wake of sexual assault allegations lodged against its celebrity host, as the company slashed profit forecasts.Dozens of companies have already scrapped advertising contracts with Fuji since the furore over J-pop megastar turned TV presenter Masahiro Nakai erupted last month.The government has decided to “suspend placing ads on Fuji Television for the time being”, top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.Two ads running as of Wednesday and two others due to be aired have been pulled “considering the situation surrounding Fuji Television”, Hayashi said.A leading tabloid magazine reported last month that Nakai had performed a sexual act without a woman’s consent in 2023.A former member of boy band sensation SMAP, Nakai allegedly paid the unnamed woman 90 million yen ($570,000) and both signed a non-disclosure agreement.Fuji has been sharply criticised for its handling of the situation, especially after it admitted knowing about the allegations in 2023 but still allowed Nakai to appear on its shows.On Monday two top Fuji executives stepped down for “failing to provide adequate care” due to “a lack of awareness of human rights”.The firm held a news conference that lasted around 10 hours until around 2:00 am attended by several hundred journalists.Parent company Fuji Media meanwhile on Thursday slashed its earnings forecasts.It projected full-year net income of 9.8 billion yen ($63.4 million), down from its earlier forecast of 29.0 billion yen, according to a statement.Nakai issued a statement earlier this month saying some of what had been reported was “different from the facts”.Last week the 52-year-old announced his retirement from show business.The case also shone the spotlight on other TV channels, with local media reporting that dinners and drinking parties involving celebrities and young women were common practice.Other TV channels including Nippon TV have announced their own investigations into whether similar events between celebrities and women had taken place.
Thu, 30 Jan 2025 09:06:14 GMT
