He retired following the allegations.
Late last year, initial details of an alleged sexual assault by a former member of the legendary boy group SMAP, Nakai Masahiro, were first reported
Masahiro debuted as SMAP’s leader at age 16 and became a successful idol, actor, TV host, news presenter, and radio personality, though he retired from the industry following the allegations.
In December of 2024, Japanese media reported that Nakai allegedly paid 90 million yen (approximately $568,101 USD) as a lump sum to an unidentified woman for sexual misconduct that took place in 2023. An independent third-party panel later determined that Nakai had sexually assaulted the victim, who was subjected to a “serious infringement of human rights” that occurred “as an extension of her job.”
Recently, further details of the night the alleged assault took place were revealed by Japanese media outlet Shukan Bunshun.
Masahiro reportedly invited the victim under the pretense of a company dinner, which turned out to be a private dinner at his home. Due to workplace pressure, the victim felt she couldn’t refuse the invitation and was suspicious after discovering it was a one-on-one dinner, and Nakai greeted her in shorts.
Legendary Boy Group Member Found Guilty Of Sexual Assault — Exposing “Culture” Of Harassment
After the two ate, Nakai drank beer while playing old SMAP footage and sharing sob stories. He then suddenly kissed the victim, which ultimately led to the alleged rape. During the incident, Nakai allegedly spoke to the victim, saying, “Don’t you like sex? Why are you crying?”
After escaping from Nakai’s home, the woman took a cab but did not report the incident to police at the time. The victim has previously stated that she wished for the truth to be known to try to prevent similar cases from happening.
