Richard Kusama’s Comeback Hindered by Fuji TV’s Post-Scandal Compliance Crackdown

His Kansai local flagship TV show has been suspended from broadcast

On the late night of October 12, “Aぇ! group no Q&Aぇ!” (Fuji TV) aired its first episode — the group’s first regular show on a major national network. However, the broadcast began with the four remaining members bowing deeply and apologizing, following the arrest of member Keita Kusama Richard (29) on suspicion of public indecency.

Released from custody on October 6, Richard tearfully apologized in front of the press and fans gathered outside the police station — a scene that drew many sympathetic reactions.

Lawyer Toru Hashimoto, appearing on Fuji TV’s “Shunkan LIVE Toretate!” that same day, commented:

“If this is a case of public indecency and not sexual assault or violence, I believe a stern warning would suffice.”

Online, many also voiced support:

“He looks genuinely remorseful — I hope he can return soon.”

“He didn’t hurt anyone; he deserves a second chance.”

Even so, the damage has been immense.

The group’s endorsement deal with haircare brand Palty has been affected — all group photos and videos have been removed from the brand’s official website. Their Kansai local variety show “Aぇ!!!!!! Iko” (MBS) has also been suspended indefinitely. Although there were no direct victims and Richard was released soon after being referred to prosecutors, the scandal has significantly impacted the group’s activities.

The situation recalls the 2009 arrest of Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (51) of SMAP for public indecency.

“Kusanagi was arrested for being drunk and naked in public, but he returned after just a one-month hiatus, and SMAP’s activities were barely affected,” said a sports newspaper reporter.

At that time, Kusanagi was under Johnny & Associates, while Richard belongs to STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, the agency that succeeded Johnny’s. Like his senior, an early return to entertainment activities may still be possible — though the path remains uncertain.

Reasons Why a Television Comeback Is Harder Than Expected

“It won’t be that easy for him to make a comeback,”

says a source from a commercial TV network.

“When Kusanagi was still in Johnny & Associates, the agency had influence and could push their talents to appear on TV. But STARTO Corporation now doesn’t have that kind of power. More importantly, the big factor is the series of scandals at Fuji TV that came to light last December. Because of that uproar, compliance in the television industry has become drastically stricter.”

Not only Masahiro Nakai (53), who was the trigger for the Fuji TV issue, but also Takaaki Ishibashi (63) of Tunnels, who appeared in the Fuji TV third-party committee’s report, was forced to apologize for indecent behavior toward women in the past.

Although not directly related to the Fuji TV scandal, freelance announcer Hiroshi Ikushima (74) stepped down from his regular program over sexual harassment and power harassment acts. Former TOKIO member Taichi Kokubun (51) was also recently expelled from the TV industry for a compliance violation.

“After witnessing sponsor companies withdrawing en masse from Fuji TV, all commercial networks have become hypersensitive to compliance violations. They are particularly strict about sexual issues. Under these circumstances, even if someone is not indicted, a sexual crime like public indecency will inevitably be treated harshly. I think Richard’s return to television will be more difficult than anyone imagines,” said the same TV network source.

It’s unclear whether Richard’s behavior was due to being drunk or simply a momentary lapse in judgment. Even though there were no direct victims, he must have deeply understood—through the example of Kokubun, who was once his co-star—that compliance violations can drive someone out of the television industry.

Regardless of the reason, committing an act that leads to a charge of public indecency shows a serious lack of restraint for an entertainer. After thorough reflection, we can only hope for the day he returns to the public stage once again.