Japanese TV host Masahiro Nakai, who was a member of the former pop group SMAP, said Thursday he has retired from show business follo

A career-ending sex scandal involving one of Japan’s most bankable stars has snowballed into a corporate governance nightmare and a textbook cautionary tale of how crises should never be managed.

Masahiro Nakai, one of Japan's top TV hosts and a former pop star, says he is retiring to take responsibility over sexual assault allegations.

The allegations concern a 2023 encounter with a woman that involved a closed-door setting and a “sexual act against her will”. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Nakai’s decision came following reports that he engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with a woman that led to a settlement with the victim.

TV personality Masahiro Nakai, stung by a reported sexual misconduct scandal and feeling pressure from corporate sponsors and broadcasters, announced his retirement from the entertainment industry on Jan.

The 52-year-old former SMAP member said his contracts had been wound up, and that negotiations with sponsors were in progress.

One of Japan's biggest pop stars and best-known TV hosts, Masahiro Nakai, announced his retirement Thursday, Jan. 23, over sexual misconduct allegations, reports said, in the latest scandal

Former star of J-pop band SMAP Masahiro Nakai resigned after several damning reports and suspicions that broadcasting giant Fuji TV covered up the assault case. The scandal is part of a wave of sexual assault cases hitting the Japanese entertainment industry.