Powerhouse Japanese boyband agency Johnny & Associates, which is embroiled in a sexual abuse scandal relating to its late founder, Johnny Kitagawa, has announced it will change its name and split into two companies.
In September, the pop giant acknowledged that Kitagawa, who died in 2019 at age 87, had sexually abused boys signed by the agency over a span of several decades.
At a press conference in Tokyo on Monday, it was revealed that an external committee for victim relief set up by the agency had received reports from 478 people, 325 of whom are seeking compensation.
The agency, which is rebranding as Smile-Up to solely focus on identifying and compensating victims, said it would begin payments in November, local media reports.
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