Is Takuki Tsuzuki’s “Departure from the Trio” Inevitable…? Lack of “Communication” Leads to Collapse of Trust with Agency

This suspension is not intended to pave the way for a comeback

Takuki Tsuzuki (29) of the comedy trio “4000 Heads” has been driven into a corner.

It was revealed on August 18 that Tsuzuki had been referred to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Tokyo Metropolitan Nuisance Prevention Ordinance by groping a woman in her 20s. According to investigative sources, he is suspected of touching the victim’s face and groping her lower body over her skirt late at night in late June at a music event venue in Tokyo.

During a voluntary interview with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Tsuzuki stated,

“I deeply regret my actions,”

and generally admitted to the allegations, adding

“I had been drinking at the time,”

.

His agency, “Watanabe Entertainment,” has suspended Tsuzuki, but in response to an inquiry from this website, a comedy industry insider familiar with the situation stated,

“This suspension is not intended to pave the way for his return,”

revealing the severity of the situation. This is because the fallout is spreading in various directions.

The first to be affected are the other members of the trio, Takumi Goto (29) and Ryota Ishibashi (29). Their manzai routines and skits are written for three people, and many of them simply cannot work without Tsuzuki.

Most appearance offers from TV stations are directed at “4000 Heads” as a complete trio, so as long as one member is suspended, new offers are unlikely for the foreseeable future. While streaming programs on platforms like YouTube might feature “challenging concepts” that deliberately feature just the remaining two members, it’s probably too early for that as well.

The impact is even extending back to past broadcasts. Comedian Hiroyuki Ariyoshi (52) remarked on a radio program aired on August 23:

“But you know, it’s really the same with (former Jungle Pocket member) Saito and Tsuzuki. When they cause problems like this, people can’t watch their past streaming content. There might be episodes they can’t watch, or skits they can’t see…”

he said,

“It’s a huge inconvenience, so I wish they’d cut it out already,”

he criticized them.

I didn’t know about the incident until it was reported

In the television industry, when a performer is accused of illegal acts or violations of local ordinances, measures such as suspending the release or re-editing not only upcoming programs but also past episodes available on platforms like “TVer” are taken.Not only does this create extra work for the staff, but the other comedians who appeared alongside Tsuzuki also lose exposure opportunities, so it’s no wonder Yoshiaki condemned the incident as “extremely troublesome.”

Tsuzuki’s biggest “mistake” was neglecting what working professionals refer to as “ho-ren-so” — reporting, communicating, and consulting.

Tsuzuki launched the apparel brand “HIROKI TSUZUKI” in 2022, and a collaboration project with “Orion Beer” was set to begin on August 14.A total of five products—including T-shirts, tank tops, and beer glasses featuring the brand’s graphics and logo—were scheduled for release. Naturally, these were canceled, but the company reportedly had no knowledge of the incident until it was reported in the media.

“The Orion Beer representative was furious. Fortunately, production of the merchandise was delayed and it never made it to market, but there’s no doubt this incident has severely damaged the relationship of trust,” said a source at an advertising agency.

The breach of trust extends to his agency as well. Tsuzuki did not immediately report the trouble he was facing to his agency. According to a sports newspaper entertainment reporter:

“After the initial report that the case had been referred to prosecutors broke, reporters immediately contacted the agency, but they kept insisting, ‘We’re currently verifying the facts.’ The relationship between a talent and their agency is built on trust, and if a problem arises, it must be reported to the agency immediately. Failing to do so leads to situations like the one with Orion Beer. Watanabe Entertainment is an agency that’s typically good at handling fallout.By falling behind this time, they came across poorly and ended up making a fool of themselves.”

For these reasons, the current suspension

“is intended as a form of reflection, but it is also a period for the agency to consider its next steps,” (said the same sports newspaper reporter)

.

Although Goto and Ishibashi denied the trio’s breakup on their radio show on August 19, according to the comedy industry source mentioned earlier,

“Given the magnitude of the impact, some people are saying that ‘Tsuzuki’s departure is inevitable,’”

. It seems Tsuzuki is set to lose a great deal due to a single night’s “mistake”—.

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