5.5 Billion Yen Defamation Claim: Matsumoto Hitoshi Sues Bunshun for Lost Wages

Hitoshi Matsumoto of “Downtown” has filed a defamation lawsuit seeking approximately 550 million yen in damages in response to “Weekly Bunshun”‘s report on allegations of forced sexual acts. In the trial held in early June, Matsumoto’s side revealed their new claim for lost wages compensation.

Matsumoto’s attorney disclosed their intention to also claim compensation for lost wages, suggesting:

“The current amount (approximately 550 million yen) may increase.”

They implied the possibility of increasing the claimed amount.

While they are seeking about 550 million yen in damages, it is often pointed out that compensation orders in defamation lawsuits typically range from several million yen to about 10 million yen, making the claim seem unrealistic. Therefore, it is speculated that they added the lost wages claim to strengthen their litigation strategy.

In January this year, Yoshimoto Kogyo, the agency to which Matsumoto belongs, announced:

“We want to focus on the lawsuit in response to various articles, reflecting Matsumoto’s strong desire.”

 

On the same day, Matsumoto himself declared his intention to fight in court on X (formerly Twitter):

“It’s baseless, so I’m going to fight.”

Considering these circumstances, it seems that the suspension of activities was based on Matsumoto’s “strong desire.” Since he voluntarily chose to suspend his activities, the new policy of claiming lost wages raises questions.

While it is possible that Matsumoto’s side might argue that the suspension was necessary to focus on the lawsuit due to the impact of the “Weekly Bunshun” article, it remains to be seen how they will calculate and specifically claim the lost wages compensation, and how the court will judge it.

On the other hand, the “Weekly Bunshun” side.

“The plaintiff, who reigns at the top of the entertainment world, engaged in sexual acts without consent with multiple women.” 

“The article was true and aimed at public welfare.” 

Regarding Matsumoto’s demand to identify the women who claim to be victims, they countered, 

“They are being harassed on social media. It is possible to ascertain the facts without identifying them.” 

Showing a stance of outright opposition, leading to a full-blown confrontation. It was decided to proceed without identifying the women.

In a defamation lawsuit, the ‘publicity, public interest, truth, and reasonable grounds for believing the truth’ of the article are contested, and this determines whether damages or lost wages will be awarded. Since the subject of the article involves sexual misconduct, it is expected to clear the publicity and public interest criteria.

The key point is the truth and reasonable grounds for believing the truth of the reported sexual coercion. If these are acknowledged, Matsumoto’s claims for damages and lost wages are likely to be dismissed.

Conversely, if the article’s truth and reasonable grounds are not recognized and it is deemed defamatory, Bunshun might be ordered to pay a certain amount of damages. The newly claimed lost wages compensation might also be granted.

“In this trial, it is unlikely that there are direct physical evidence such as videos or recorded audio from the scene, so the testimonies of Matsumoto and the accusers like Ms. A will be key. In her exclusive memoir in the April 4th issue of Weekly Bunshun, Ms. A reiterated that all the sexual misconduct allegations are true.

On the internet, there are many insults directed at Ms. A and other accusers, calling them money-seekers or liars. Despite this, she stated, ‘I will never lose,’ and ‘I intend to testify as many times as necessary,’ showing her strong resolve,” said a sports newspaper reporter.

The next trial is scheduled for August 4th, but it is expected that unpredictable developments will continue.

What claims and evidence each side presents, and how the court judges the conflicting claims of both parties over the existence of sexual coercion… the future developments are highly anticipated.