Three people say they were sexually assaulted by the TV personality Matt and have filed complaints with police, Shukan Bunshun reported on October 28 in its electronic edition. Matt, 32, whose real name is Masashi Kuwata, denies that any sexual conduct took place.
The claims reach back to incidents the magazine dates to January and June of this year. Two of the complainants say they were plied with alcohol at bars in Tokyo and assaulted in a highly intoxicated state at a victim's home or at a hotel, according to Shukan Bunshun. A third person, who works at a restaurant in Tokyo and has spoken publicly under their real name, describes an incident in the early hours of January 20, 2024.
That person says Matt and a beauty influencer approached them at a club in Kabukicho, Tokyo's nightlife district, and that the group moved to a karaoke parlor in Shin-Okubo, where they were given large amounts of chamisul, a Korean distilled liquor. They say Matt and the influencer kissed them and groped their lower body when they went to the toilet.
Denials and a diagnosis
Matt responded on Instagram on October 29 through Rose World, the brand he produces. "To state the conclusion first, the acts pointed out in the report are clearly denied by the person himself and by his attorney," the statement said. "Based on the facts as we understand them as of today, we recognize that no such facts exist." The statement added that Matt was consulting his lawyer and would take appropriate steps, including possible legal action against news organizations.
In Instagram Stories the same day, Matt said he has adjustment disorder — a stress-related condition producing anxiety and low mood — and posted a medical certificate. He wrote that the matter had left him too frightened to work and that he had cut back his workload and turned down jobs in September and October.
On October 30, News Post Seven reported Matt's side saying that after being approached directly by Shukan Bunshun, his lawyers met the magazine face to face for about two hours in total. They presented a written account of events and message logs between the parties, the report said, but Matt's side maintains the magazine did not reflect this in its article. News Post Seven quoted the response as saying there was no sexual act in any of the cases and that "no such facts exist," while conceding the handling had been insufficient.
The magazine's second report
Shukan Bunshun published a second article in its electronic edition on November 4, headlined as releasing "evidence LINE messages" and calling the claim that no act took place a "big lie." It presented exchanges with the third complainant about a sexually transmitted infection and video footage said to have been taken on a bed.
As of November 5, Matt had not been removed from the official website for Bold, the P&G laundry brand he appears in commercials for, a sports newspaper entertainment reporter said. The reporter added that depending on how the investigation develops, advertising contracts could be affected.
Under Japan's revised Penal Code, which took effect in 2023, intercourse without consent carries a heavier charge than before, but proving a lack of consent remains the central obstacle in cases where the accounts diverge as sharply as they do here. Neither side's account has been tested in court, and no charges have been reported.