Lingering Rumors of Affair Between Mei Nagano and Kei Tanaka No Apology to Tanakas Wife

TV and sports papers are in a wait-and-see mood.

The alleged affair scandal involving actors Mei Nagano (25) and Kei Tanaka (40) seems far from being resolved.

The April 24 issue of Weekly Bunshun reports in detail on photos of Nagano and Tanaka holding hands like lovers, and describes Nagano bringing a drunken Tanaka back to her condominium. On another occasion, it also reports Nagano returning home by taxi with Korean actor Kim Moo-jun, who co-stars with them in the TBS drama Caster.

In response, Nagano, Tanaka, and Kim each denied having any inappropriate relationship. They explained that Nagano’s mother was present at the home and implicitly emphasized that no line had been crossed.

“A difference in perspectives between Bunshun and Nagano and Tanaka’s sides means TV and morning sports newspapers are taking a wait-and-see approach. However, when other celebrities’ affair rumors were reported, they sometimes ran big stories, so the power dynamics with their agencies likely play a major role,” said a reporter covering entertainment for a sports newspaper.

Nagano and Tanaka’s sides seem eager to minimize the damage, but there are rumors that Tanaka’s wife, former actress Sakura, is furious about this matter. Interestingly, Sakura’s anger reportedly started not after seeing the Bunshun report but before it was published.

“The media only began mentioning Nagano and Tanaka’s names about two days before Bunshun’s release. By then, there was already information that the man’s wife is furious with the other party (Nagano),” said a source involved in TV talk shows.

The direction of the wife’s anger is an important point for understanding the core of the scandal.

There is a 15-year age difference between Tanaka and Nagano. Generally speaking, many would raise voices of “What is going on?” directed at Tanaka, who is more than a generation older than Nagano and has a wife and children. When asked about his wife during a direct interview by Bunshun, Tanaka said:

“She knows me well, so I think rather than worrying about me, she would be like ‘Don’t cause trouble for (Nagano).’”

However, most of the wife’s actual anger is directed at Nagano. There must have been something that deeply upset her.

The target of Tanaka’s wife’s anger

On the internet, some people are comparing this case to the 2020 affair scandal involving actor Masahiro Higashide (37) and Erika Karata (27). Their age difference was about 10 years, and their relationship began when Karata was still a minor.

At that time, the anger of Higashide’s then-wife, actress Anne (39), was mostly directed at her husband Higashide, according to another entertainment reporter.

“Back then, Karata was still a rookie with little experience in the entertainment industry. Of course, Anne was angry, but more than anything, she couldn’t forgive her husband for flirting with a woman nearly 10 years younger. The couple later divorced. I heard that afterward, Anne sent a message to Karata encouraging her to look ahead as an actress.”

Looking at this, the current case involving Nagano and Tanaka is similar but also different from the Higashide-Karata case.

There are also reports that the response from Nagano’s side after the Bunshun report

“has intensified the anger of Tanaka’s wife, Sakura,” according to an entertainment industry source.

On Nippon Broadcasting’s Mei Nagano’s All Night Nippon X (Cross), Nagano said:

“To all the listeners and fans who always support me, and to everyone I work with, I apologize deeply for causing you so much worry and trouble. I am truly sorry.”

However, she never mentioned an apology to Tanaka’s wife.

In the official statement from her agency released earlier, it said:

“To all related parties, clients and staff involved in advertisements and projects, and to all the fans who support me, I deeply apologize for causing great worry and inconvenience.”

But there was no apology directed specifically to the wife.

“Both deny having an affair, but since there are photos of them looking close and Nagano stayed overnight at the home—even with the mother present—it’s natural that Tanaka’s wife feels uncomfortable. It would have been good if Nagano’s side had apologized regarding this. If the victimized wife’s dissatisfaction leaks out, people online will believe they are the justice and criticize even more harshly. For managing public reaction, a proper apology should have been made,” said the entertainment industry source.

There is no doubt that this scandal will continue to be tumultuous.