On the 28th, Hitoshi Matsumoto of the popular comedy duo "Downtown" is seeking compensation for damages from the publisher of Weekly Bunshun, which published the testimony of a woman who claimed to have been sexually assaulted, was held at the Tokyo District Court on the 28th. to start. The publisher is expected to make a full-scale fight.
Shukan Bunshun, published in December last year, reported the testimonies of two women who said they were sexually assaulted by Hitoshi Matsumoto at a hotel in Tokyo nine years ago.
In response, Matsumoto said, ``Despite the fact that there is no objective evidence that he forced me to perform a sexual act, my reputation was hurt by the article,'' and he offered 550 million yen in compensation to the publisher Bungeishunju and the editor-in-chief. A lawsuit has been filed seeking compensation for damages and correction of the article, and the trial will begin at the Tokyo District Court on the 28th.
Bungeishunju is expected to fully contest the matter in court and insist on the truth of the article.
Matsumoto has been on hiatus from his entertainment activities since January because he wants to focus on the trial, and according to his lawyer, he has no plans to come to court on the 28th.
Hitoshi Matsumoto: ``I want to convey the truth to the world and do comedy as soon as possible.''
Before the trial began, Hitoshi Matsumoto said, ``I've always wanted to make people laugh.Many people have become unable to laugh at themselves, and my junior colleagues, who have done nothing wrong, have been implicated.'' I am simply confused, frustrated and sad by the absurdity that has been drowned out and cannot be accepted.I want the truth to be conveyed to the world and I want to be able to do comedy as soon as possible,'' he said in a statement through his lawyer.
On the other hand, the editorial department of Weekly Bunshun commented, ``We have full confidence in the article.We will clarify the facts in future reports and in court.''
The story so far
It all started with an article in Weekly Bunshun published last December.
We reported on the testimonies of two women who claim that they were sexually assaulted by Mr. Matsumoto nine years ago.
According to the article, the two were invited to a drinking party at a hotel in Tokyo at the invitation of Kazutaka Ozawa, a member of the comedy duo Speedwagon, and partway through, they ended up alone in the bedroom with Matsumoto, playing games and other activities. It is alleged that he was forced to do sexual acts without his consent.
In response to this report, Matsumoto announced on January 8th of this year that he would suspend his entertainment activities through his agency, saying he wanted to focus on the trial, and posted on his own social media, ``I will fight because it is unfounded.'' Two weeks later she went to court.
Ozawa also announced in January that he would refrain from his entertainment activities for the time being.