Comedian Divide Amid Matsumoto Hitoshi Issue, with Yoshimoto Stable and Kazutaka Ozawa’s Precarious Position

At the end of last year, allegations of sexual assault by “Downtown” star Matsumoto Hitoshi broke out. Eleven female witnesses appeared in the Weekly Bunshun, which ran a seven-week feature article.

Matsumoto is suing Bungei Shunju for approximately 550 million yen in damages, and the first oral argument will be held on March 28 at the Tokyo District Court.

Even if Matsumoto wins the lawsuit on the issue of sexual assault, we wonder if there will still be a place for her in the entertainment industry at that time. According to media reports, there are several testimonies that he used his junior staff to lure women to his room, and his image is at its worst.

Despite the fact that he has a wife and child, there is a strong impression that he was flamboyantly playing with women. He has a strong allergic reaction from the female demographic, which is the most important demographic for sponsors, and the hurdles to his return to TV will be quite high.

The fate of Kazutaka Ozawa of “Speed Wagon,” Jun Kurose of “Punk Boo Boo,” Sense Watanabe of “Crossbar Direct Hit,” and Kenji Tamura, who reportedly accompanied Matsumoto, is also a matter of concern.

Ozawa initially said

“I have nothing to be ashamed of.

but then he changed his mind and announced that he was going to suspend his activities. Only Ozawa and Matsumoto, who were reported in the first issue, have been suspended.