Former Idol Claims Of Being Sexually Harassed By Most Famous Celebrity In Japanese Entertainment Industry

According to the foreign media ET Today on January 19th, Mai Endo, who was the leader of the girl group IDOLING!!! and is currently working as a vocal coach, shocked everyone when she confessed about being sexually harassed in the past.

According to Mai Endo, she was invited to a gathering by an acquaintance when she was an idol. On the way home, she was pushed into a taxi by an acquaintance. She knew everyone who appeared at the gathering so she got into the taxi without resisting or refusing. She then found out that the most famous person in the entertainment industry was inside the car. That celebrity was drunk and they forcibly touched her, saying “Do you know how much I like you?”. Surprised by the unexpected situation, Mai Endo quickly rejected the request to go somewhere and hurriedly got out of the car.

Shocked by the incident, Mai Endo called her boyfriend and cried but he blamed her instead. To avoid making things worse, she eventually declared to her manager that she would not engage in any relationships with influential people in the industry.

Recalling that time, Mai Endo emphasized, “Although I had not suffered sexual assault, I took a bath with hot water for a long time and washed my body to the point of bleeding. If I had been sexually assaulted, I would immediately report it to the police and secure evidence”.

She confessed, “During that time, there was nothing like the ‘Me Too’ movement like nowadays. Now, I can share my story freely. I know very well that one person’s voice can easily be pressured down under power. Someone I know reported an incident and was forced to leave their company. But like people say, ‘There’s nothing to be afraid of when we cross the red light together’, I gained courage from people who filed complaints and I’m finally able to raise my voice”. As such, Mai Endo gave strength to other victims like her.

Meanwhile, Hitoshi Matsumoto (60 years old) continued to deny the recent sexual assault allegation, but the Japanese media that reported the case responded that they were confident about their content. 

As a result of the incident, Hitoshi Matsumoto decided to suspend all activities, including six programs he was hosting. This caused a significant impact on the Japanese entertainment industry.

Source: Daum