<figure id="attachment_362445" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2233px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-362445"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="bd414138"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/03/b48092effc04c38f008f6ce012afd2c7.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-362445" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2015, while waiting for a taxi after leaving a bar, Maki gave a playful kick to a male companion. It&#8217;s just one of her mischievous traits.(July 17, 2015 issue)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Actress Yoko Maki (41) is currently facing a major backlash due to her blunt and controversial remarks, including crude denials of airsoft gun suspicions and a series of cringe-worthy sexual harassment remarks. It turns out that in the past, she has been outspokenly critical of disliked celebrities.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The trouble for Maki began on February 18th when she appeared as a guest on the popular show &#8220;Dareka to Nakai&#8221; (Fuji TV). Upon seeing this, comedian Yoshimasa Iwahashi (45) of the comedy duo Plus Minus at the time, posted on X, &#8220;Oh, she&#8217;s the one who shot me with an airsoft gun.&#8221; This led to a social media hunt to identify the culprit, but before anyone could be pinpointed, Iwahashi himself confessed that the person in question was indeed Yoko Maki. This sparked a massive uproar online with reactions like &#8220;Really!?&#8221; and &#8220;She seems like the type to do that!&#8221; and the situation quickly spiraled out of control.</span></p>
<p><b>&#8220;Immediately during a TikTok livestream, Maki denied Iwahashi&#8217;s accusation. However, her choice of words at the time, such as &#8216;I didn&#8217;t do any airsoft gun!&#8217; were harsh, leading to a significant focus on her behavior on Dareka to Nakai.</b></p>
<p><b>This is because, during the same appearance, Maki made a series of sexually harassing remarks about her co-guest, Arata Mackenyu (27), saying things like &#8216;He&#8217;s erotic,&#8217; and &#8216;I thought I&#8217;d be groped for the first time at 41.&#8217; In today&#8217;s era with strict compliance, this was a complete faux pas, leading to a massive backlash and tarnishing her image as a cringeworthy auntie.&#8221; </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">(Entertainment journalist)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When it comes to Maki, she has often been associated with a cool and somewhat mysterious image, stemming from the roles she has portrayed. Furthermore, since she started actively engaging on social media, she has been well-received for her service-oriented comments and her dedication to responding to fans, even amidst her busy schedule. This created a favorable impression, successfully enhancing her image through this contrast. So, why has she ended up in such a situation now?</span></p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Maki's &quot;Surprising Episodes&quot;."></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In light of this, there was a curiosity about Maki&#8217;s true self beyond her acting and social media presence, prompting an investigation. What emerged were surprising anecdotes that revealed her genuine character.</span></p>
<p><b>&#8220;She&#8217;s truly straightforward and easygoing, without any pretense. Whether the person she&#8217;s talking to is someone important or just an assistant, she&#8217;ll converse with them in a relaxed manner. It was quite a while ago, but there was an incident where Maki-san worked alongside the celebrity Saeko (37). At that time, Saeko was only talking to important people and completely ignored anyone else, which really irritated Maki-san.</b></p>
<p><b>I guess Maki-san really disliked people who change their attitude depending on who they&#8217;re talking to. But what I found most characteristic of her was what happened afterward. After complaining about it, she said, &#8216;Please don&#8217;t use her,&#8217; and I initially thought she meant, &#8216;Don&#8217;t use this statement,&#8217; but she actually meant, &#8216;Don&#8217;t use Saeko.&#8217; It&#8217;s funny, isn&#8217;t it? Since she&#8217;s someone who doesn&#8217;t hide anything, I guess you could say I&#8217;m not surprised by this whole uproar.&#8221; </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">(Freelance production staff)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sometimes, being easygoing can work in one&#8217;s favor, but it can also quickly turn into a disadvantage. Surviving in the age of social media is truly a daunting task.</span></p>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Drunken Maki and Takako Tokiwa's husband walking downtown in '12."></div>
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<figure id="attachment_362446" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 3895px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-362446"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="3f25e3c8"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/03/6416f01040347d2a222f1247caaf4f75.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-362446" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">After a post-performance dinner following a stage appearance, it was past 1:30 AM when Maki, appearing quite intoxicated, was being supported by the director Keishi Nagatsuka (48). Nagatsuka is the husband of the actress Takako Tokiwa (51). (July 13, 2012 issue)</span></figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_362447" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1902px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-362447"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="522bcd9c"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/03/041c7c7f2bfca5d4ddf7948268533024.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-362447" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">When leaving the first venue, Maki seemed composed, but after the second one, her demeanor clearly changed. Her eyes were vacant, and she could barely stand upright. (July 13, 2012 issue)</span></figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_362448" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1693px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-362448"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="88338fd1"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/03/fbdd5724585e62eb2a21496b37015081.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-362448" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It&#8217;s reported that Maki appeared in several of Nagatsuka&#8217;s works during her early career, learning the basics of acting. Nagatsuka also values Maki&#8217;s acting skills, and they have a mutual respect for each other. (July 13, 2012 issue).</span></figcaption></figure>
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 Kojiro Yamada (1st photo), Ippei Hara (2nd~4th photos)

 Yoko Maki has been under fire for her sexually harassing comments in "Dareka to Nakai" and her alleged use of an air gun on Plus Minus Iwahashi. When we interviewed her, we found out that she had made some surprising comments in the past, perhaps because of her open and friendly personality.

Controversy-Plagued Maki Yoko Targets Female Talent She Disdained Amid Sexual Harassment and Airsoft Gun Allegations

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