GACKT questions companies cutting ties with Johnny's artistes
14 Sep – GACKT recently shared his two cents amid reports that more and more companies are detaching themselves from artistes under Johnny & Associates.
It was late last month that an investigation into the allegations of sexual abuse against the late Johnny Kitagawa had revealed that Johnny had sexually assaulted a number of minors. The Japanese entertainment mogul and founder of Johnny & Associates passed away in 2019.
On 9 September, GACKT took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and expressed, "I would understand if they cancel projects with any individual artiste who has done something wrong. But this time, each artiste has nothing to do with it; rather, they are victims. It would be strange and bad to cancel commercials with them. Wouldn't that lead to a negative image of the company?"
The singer stated that the decision seemed to be more reactionary than something that has been carefully deliberated, and showed that they have no understanding of the fans and the issue.
In another post, he addressed comments from his previous post, saying that he supports the artistes under Johnny, not the company itself.
"While I understand the agency's issues are very concerning, it is different when the artistes are being attacked. They are probably victims in the first place. There will be many different opinions, and I'm not trying to say who is right or wrong. Even though it's a tough time, we can overcome this," he added.
It is noted that McDonald's Japan is the latest company to announce that they will not renew contracts with Johnny & Associates in response to the sexual abuse committed by Johnny Kitagawa.
(Photo Source: Kotaku, Japan Times)
