The president and chairperson for Japanese network Fuji TV resigned on Monday morning following weeks of criticism on how they handled sexual misconduct allegations against host Masahiro Nakai.
Back in December, Japanese magazines accused Nakai — who led the former boy band SMAP — of sexual assault, for which he later paid a hefty settlement. According to the allegations, the incident happened at a dinner that was arranged by Fuji TV staff.
Following the allegations, the network reportedly saw a mass exodus by advertisers and sharp falls in stock price, as further accusations surfaced that executives covered up the scandal, having learned about it six months before it was revealed in the press.
After launching an independent probe to look into the company’s handling of things, the results of which aren’t expected until the end of March, Fuji TV chair Shuji Kanoh and Koichi Minato, head of Fuji Media Holdings’ TV wing, announced their resignations on Monday.
“We are very sorry that we mishandled the case because of our lack of awareness about human rights and corporate governance … and as a result, our responses to the involved woman were inadequate,” Minato said, according to the Associated Press. “We are very sorry to have destroyed our credibility.”
Earlier this month, a group representing investors associated with the U.S.’s Dalton Investments, which, alongside Rising Sun Management, owns a stake of more than 7% in Fuji Media Holdings, expressed “outrage” in a public letter to the Fuji board.
“The lack of consistency and, importantly, transparency in both reporting the facts and the subsequent unforgivable shortcomings in your response merit serious condemnation that serves not only to undermine viewer trust, but also leads directly to erode shareholder value,” the letter said.
