Fuji TV Sets Up 3rd-Party Panel to Investigate Nakai Scandal

Tokyo, Jan. 23 (Jiji Press)--Fuji Television Network Inc. and its parent, Fuji Media Holdings Inc., said Thursday that they have set up a third-party committee to investigate a sex scandal involving popular television personality Masahiro Nakai.

The third-party panel is based on the guidelines of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, the companies said after holding an extraordinary board meeting.

The committee will work to confirm the details of the scandal and Fuji Television's response, as a Fuji Television employee was reportedly involved in the scandal. It is expected to submit a report by around the end of March.

Since last December, media outlets including the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine have reported that Nakai had a problem with a woman in June 2023 and that he paid a large sum of money to settle it. According to these reports, the Fuji Television employee helped arrange a dinner when the problem occurred.

The company has denied the employee's involvement, but is facing mounting criticism as Nakai continued to appear on its programs and it restricted access to President Koichi Minato's press conference on Friday. The press conference prompted many companies to pull their commercials from the network.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]