Former Boy Group Member Accused Of Sexual Misconduct Gets Deleted From Shows And More 

A former member of a top idol group has been edited out of a broadcast and more. The removal comes in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations that have darkened this star’s once-bright image.

Nakai Masahiro is a former member of SMAP, a legendary J-Pop group that was active from 1988 to 2016. Masahiro debuted as SMAP’s leader at age 16 and went on to become a successful idol, actor, TV host, news presenter, and radio personality.

In December of 2024, Japanese media reported that Masahiro allegedly paid 90 million yen (approximately $568,101 USD) as a lump sum to an unidentified woman. This settlement is related to alleged sexual misconduct that took place in 2023. Confirmed details about the incident and the resulting settlement remain scarce.

What is known is that major TV networks are now distancing themselves from Masahiro. On January 7, Nippon TV aired a programme co-hosted by Masahiro, but the ex-idol was nowhere to be seen; he was edited out. The next day, Fuji TV announced that their weekly show hosted by Masahiro will be cancelled for the time being, following the network’s “comprehensive review of the situation.” Additionally, SoftBank, a major tech corporation and sponsor, is pulling away from Masahiro by no longer airing Masahiro’s commercial.

So far, Mashiro’s agency has been tight-lipped about the situation, citing a confidentiality agreement between the involved parties. It has been reported that Japanese media outlet Asahi Shimbun Daily quoted the agency as stating that Masahiro “never resorted to force or became violent” toward the woman.