Leaked LINE Chats Between Mei Nagano & Kei Tanaka Spark Major Questions

It is claimed that Mei’s mother was at her home

Actress Mei Nagano (25) and actor Kei Tanaka (40) are currently facing a crisis.

On April 24, the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported an alleged affair involving the two. Along with private photos of them together, detailed reports included scenes of a drunken Tanaka being brought back to Nagano’s apartment. Nagano was also reported to have met secretly on another occasion with Korean actor Kim Moo-jun (26), her co-star in the TBS drama “Caster.”

All three parties quickly denied any inappropriate relationships. A common point in their statements was that Nagano’s mother and acquaintances were present when Tanaka visited her apartment.

“They all insist they are good drinking buddies. To support this claim, Nagano’s mother was brought up. Because her mother was present, they implicitly emphasize that nothing crossed the line, and it was merely an extension of a drinking party where Nagano stayed at home,” said a sports newspaper reporter.

However, this excuse has come under serious doubt in the May 8 issue of Shukan Bunshun.

The magazine published a follow-up titled “Mei Nagano & Kei Tanaka’s Blazing Affair LINE Messages,” reporting exclusive LINE chat exchanges between Nagano and Tanaka.

The messages read like a romantic couple’s loving conversation.

A key point revealed was that before the first report was published, Tanaka was intercepted en route to stage rehearsals. Disturbed, he quickly sent a LINE message to Nagano from inside the car, and the two coordinated their stories—this was exposed in the May 8 issue.

Although they came up with clever ideas to cover up, neither “Nagano’s mother” nor acquaintances were mentioned even once during these exchanges. If the mother or acquaintances were truly present, it would seem natural—even if nervous—to mention “My mom was there.” in their LINE chats, but that never happened.

The credibility of the claim that my mother was there

“It’s understandable that people doubt the consistency between Ms. Nagano and Mr. Tanaka’s claims and the leaked LINE messages. There may be other LINE records mentioning the mother, but at the very least, the credibility of the initial explanation that ‘the mother and acquaintances were present’ is definitely shaken,” said the same sports newspaper reporter.

Following the follow-up reports by Bunshun, the agencies representing Nagano and Tanaka issued statements to some media outlets. Nagano’s side stated:

“Upon confirming with Nagano herself, she denies having such exchanges. Furthermore, Kei Tanaka is one of her senior colleagues in acting, and there is no romantic relationship.”

Tanaka’s agency also commented:

“We have confirmed with Kei Tanaka, and he denies any such exchanges. As his agency, we want to believe what he says.”

In other words, they completely deny the authenticity of the LINE records. A television industry insider remarked:

“Some wide shows have reported on the LINE contents, but even now, TV and morning sports newspapers basically maintain a wait-and-see stance. However, within broadcasting stations, voices questioning ‘Can we really ignore this?’ are starting to emerge. If a third report breaks, the number of programs reporting on it may increase sharply.”

Meanwhile, there has been a stir regarding the CM clients of both talents. Companies such as Sunstar, JCB, Aisei City, Suntory, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Mos Burger, all of which have used Nagano as a CM character, have withdrawn their commercials.

An advertising agency official said:

“We expect more companies to follow this trend.”

When asked about Nagano’s continued role as brand ambassador for PRADA, the company replied:

“We are aware of the reports but will refrain from commenting on this matter.”

To avoid the worst outcome, it seems Nagano and Tanaka should explain the facts publicly, but the question remains — will they?