<figure id="attachment_485572" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-485572" style="width: 2000px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="4bb28172"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/11/b2790cd39bb1116ea279c9f413d80b3c.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-485572" class="wp-caption-text">Pinako Izumi has been sued by a film director for conduct during a movie premiere event that allegedly constitutes power harassment, but…</figcaption></figure>
<h2><span class="strongInContent"> Refused to Share the Stage</span></h2>
<p> It has come to light that actress Pinco Izumi (79) has been sued for engaging in “power harassment” toward a co-star during a stage greeting for a film in which she appeared. The plaintiff is Kazuhiro Teranishi, who directed the films *AYUMI* and *Stepfather*, both of which feature Izumi.</p>
<p> On November 3, he released a statement on Instagram and on the official X account of the company he heads, stating that before taking the stage, Pinako made remarks such as “I’m going home,” “I’m not going out there,” “I won’t stand next to you,” and “I’m a veteran actress, you know,” and</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “which ultimately led the person on stage to end up prostrating themselves,”</span></p>
<p> he revealed. During the stage greeting in question, he addressed the audience,</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “Regarding the use of insulting language such as ‘old hag,’ this violates the dignity of our guests and is absolutely unacceptable,”</span></p>
<p> and</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “We determined that this matter should not be handled merely as a personal dispute, and as the event organizer, we have taken this legal action,”</span></p>
<p> explaining the rationale behind the decision to file a claim for damages.</p>
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<p> A film industry insider added:</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “Just before the on-stage greeting, Pin-ko—who had been serving as the emcee—lashed out at the writer and TV personality Bardo-neesan’s attire and appearance, and refused to share the stage with her. It reportedly reached the point where Bardo-neesan had to beg on her hands and knees.”</span></p>
<p> While this may constitute power harassment, the issue is that the lawsuit was filed not by Ms. Bardo—nor by the audience member whose appearance was mocked—but by Mr. Teranishi. A sports newspaper entertainment reporter commented:</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “The power harassment is merely the opening act; Mr. Teranishi may be most concerned that Pin-ko’s ‘outburst’ disrupted the proceedings of a valuable event and negatively impacted the promotion of the production.”</span></p>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" It’s been building up for years…"></div>
<h2><span class="strongInContent">Behind the &#8220;No Co-Starring&#8221; Rule</span></h2>
<p> It’s impossible to predict how the courts will rule, but Pin-ko’s strong-willed nature is nothing new. It’s common knowledge that she is effectively “off-limits” for co-starring with Kazuki Enari (41), with whom she appeared in the late Sugako Hashida’s family drama series *The World Is Full of Demons*.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “It’s said that Enari’s side has refused to work with her. Various media outlets have speculated on the reasons—such as ‘Pin-ko meddled not only in acting direction but also in his private life’—but essentially, it boils down to Enari reaching his limit due to Pin-ko’s repeated attempts to assert her dominance. I hear Enari has even ruled out working with Pin-ko in his personal life as well,” said a director at a major network.</span></p>
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<p> Perhaps because her personality is too strong, Pin-ko’s media appearances had been decreasing lately. She seemed to be bothered by this herself, so she called a longtime friend who has a regular TV show and said,</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “Put me on the show,”</span></p>
<p> to negotiate directly. This is according to an executive at an entertainment agency familiar with the situation.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “She tends to ask celebrities who are less experienced than she is but have influence over the show’s casting. In fact, there was an instance where a certain big-name singer, A, invited Pin-ko to appear as a guest on a show at her request.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Pin-ko, full of enthusiasm, livened up the show with her signature personality and was absolutely delighted. After the recording, she declared in a condescending tone, ‘I’d be happy to appear as a regular.’ Singer A was left scratching his head, wondering, ‘What am I going to do if she asks me to appear again…?’”</span></p>
<p> There are also stories like this.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “Apparently, there was a time she tried to unilaterally wrap up a drama shoot by saying, ‘We’ve got enough footage now, let’s call it a day.’ As a director, you’d want to do a retake, but it’s hard to say that to Pin-ko. She probably doesn’t mean any harm, but with that attitude, it’s impossible to create a production that satisfies the production team. It wouldn’t be surprising if she stopped getting offers.” (Commercial broadcaster producer)</span></p>
<p> Pin-ko has consistently declined to comment on the series of reports alleging power harassment. Is this a trivial matter for a veteran actress, or is she preparing a counterattack?</p>
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 Lee Jae-Won/Afro

 Pinako Izumi has been sued by the director of a film in which she appeared, alleging that her words and actions during a stage greeting constituted power harassment. She herself has remained silent so far, but…

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