Mei Nagano’s Affair Scandal and Why TV Shows Stay Silent

Sunday Japon and Akko ni Omakase did not cover it

Mei Nagano (25), who was reported by Shukan Bunshun to have an affair with actor Kei Tanaka (40), has been largely ignored by the TV industry as if the issue never happened.

However, by May 16, the cosmetics brand SK-II (P&G Prestige LLC), for which Nagano served as an advertising character, removed her images from their official website. The only brand that has yet to take any action such as removal is the Italian luxury brand PRADA, with which she has an ambassador contract. The impact continues to spread without stopping.

Shukan Bunshun released a second report, leaking LINE messages that show Nagano and Tanaka coordinating their stories after the affair report, but there has been no third follow-up.

From leaked LINE messages and a domino effect of commercial cancellations to a mysterious no press stage greeting at the premiere of her starring film Kakukaku Shikajika, Nagano’s scandal has kept making headlines. Yet, morning and variety shows still do not report her affair scandal extensively.

“At TBS, since Nagano’s drama Caster is currently airing, the station has issued a no coverage directive to programs like Hiruobi, Jouhou 7days News Caster, Sunday Japon, and Akko ni Omakase!, so they are skipping it. The only coverage after Nagano’s radio apology was a brief mention on THE TIME, but generally they avoid going into the details of the affair. Also, Fuji TV is involved in the production of the movie Kakukaku Shikajika, so naturally they find it difficult to cover,” said an entertainment desk reporter for variety shows.

It is understandable that TBS and Fuji TV avoid the topic since they are involved with Nagano’s drama and movie. But the question remains why other networks also shy away from covering Nagano’s affair scandal.

More than Nagano herself, it’s about her agency relationship

The Nippon TV-affiliated program “Jouhou Live Miyaneya” (produced by Yomiuri TV) generally dislikes reporting on infidelity scandals. The host, Seiji Miyane, himself has been involved in an infidelity scandal before, so if they report on such matters, it leads to reactions like “Who’s saying that?” and the staff become cautious. Also, the stage greeting for the film “Kakukaku Shikajika” was off-limits to the press, so there’s no video footage of the event. Reporting on something without footage is difficult on television. Moreover, even though these are variety shows, they are still news programs, and since the agency has denied the allegations, it’s hard to verify the story (“Wide Show” entertainment desk insider).

The reason why Nagano-related infidelity articles gain traction on online news is likely due to public frustration over TV networks seemingly covering up and refusing to report on the matter.

“If you look at the agency’s website, you’ll see it’s a major powerhouse. To name just a few clients: Yasuko Matsuyuki, Keiko Kitagawa, Tsubasa Honda, Miori Takimoto, Kaho, Shiori Sato, and among male actors: Takayuki Yamada, Kento Yamazaki, Ryusei Yokohama, Masaki Okada, Takumi Kitamura, Yuya Yagira—there are tons of lead stars. When such a huge agency denies an affair, it’s difficult to push deeper without being accused of lying. On the other hand, by choosing not to cover the story, TV stations can curry favor with the agency. So, rather than thinking about Nagano herself, they’re focused on their future relationship with her agency. Despite public backlash demanding “Why don’t you report this?” inside the networks, the feeling is more like “Let this just fade away quietly” (private TV station insider).

Due to various internal circumstances, wide shows avoid reporting on Nagano and Tanaka’s infidelity allegations. But in this day and age, will the public accept that?