Japan’s Masahiro Nakai sex scandal prompts dozens of companies to pull TV ads – South China Morning Post
Major sponsors such as carmakers Nissan and Toyota and the owner of 7-Eleven announced they were pulling ads from Fuji TV over the scandalAfter the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported in December on a 90 million yen (US$578,000) settlement between Nakai and a woman over the alleged sexual assault at a 2023 dinner party, the former SMAP star issued a statement acknowledging a settlement over “a trouble”, but he denied using any violence.News of the scandal did not immediately trigger a flood of pullouts by sponsors. But many apparently started replacing their commercials with public service announcements after a news conference on Friday by Fuji TV that triggered criticism that the company was lacking transparency and contrition over the affair.
