A tabloid affair report cost Nagano Mei all 9 of her CM contracts in 9 days

What happened

Why it happened

• A tabloid allegation, denied by both agencies, was enough: no brand waited for a court or a police finding — the first two pulled on May 8, nine days after the report.
• The removals were protective, not contractual: sources said the contracts continued, but consumer sentiment made the materials unshowable — reputation risk was priced before any fact was established.
• Each removal made the next easier: JCB and Sunstar went first, Suntory and MOS Burger followed within days, and by May 17 the remaining brands had nothing left to wait for.
• A denial did not stop the cascade: an agency statement did not outpace a tabloid headline in the decision loop of an advertiser.

Aftermath

By May 17, 2025, all nine of Nagano Mei's campaigns had withdrawn her CM videos and images, though advertising sources said the contracts themselves continued. JCB and Sunstar removed her materials on May 8, Suntory and MOS Burger by May 13, Kracie on May 15 — citing the difficulty of conveying Ichikami's brand value 'under the current circumstances' — and SK-II by May 17. Both talent agencies denied the reported affair and LINE exchanges. The episode became the reference case for how quickly a tabloid report can empty an actress's commercial portfolio.