Kusanagi will pay heavy price with contract cancellations
Around 3 a.m. on April 23, SMAP singer Tsuyoshi Kusanagi was found shouting alone in a park near Tokyo Midtown, heavily intoxicated and completely naked. He was arrested by the Akasaka Police Department for public indecency. He later told the police he has no recollection about his misbehavior, and a police search of his home cleared him of any other wrongdoings.
Owing to his high profile as a celebrity, though, sources say that he will be suspended from work for at least a full year. The incident will impact the TV programs Kusanagi appears in, but a far worse problem is expected from the cancellation of advertising contracts. The pop star had been featured in TV commercials and promotional campaigns for sponsors including Toyota, P&G Japan and Yamasa Shoyu, as well as the Japan Advertising Council and Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
“The penalty charge for the termination of his contracts will be monumental,” says one ad agency executive.
While there may be space for negotiation depending on the contract terms or the number of prominent entertainers that the agency represents, there is no standard rule for determining penalty charges in such cases, other than the contract fee upon which the calculation would be based.
The contract fee for Kusanagi’s TV commercial appearances in addition to activities as a SMAP member is estimated at 400 million yen.
Kusanagi will simply have to endure the consequences of the incident for some time to come.
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wanderlust
Grossly overpaid.....
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DeepAir65
If they cancelled him why does he have to pay?
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tkoind2
Look. He's a star. Stars fall off the edge now and then.
A smart promoter would use this to both the actor and company's advantage. So heres some advice for them that will save their contracts.
Failing this. You can at least do the following.
Naked and shouting. Maybe his most talented performance to date.
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NuckinFutz
Or he could become a spokesperson for ALCOHOLICS in Japan and do something worthwhile with his life (like motivating people to seek out treatment for their problems ... drinking or otherwise!)
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cleo
There's usually a clause in the contract that says if either party has a run-in with the law/does anything to cause public scandal/does anything to spoil the image of whatever's being promoted etc, the contract is automatically cancelled and it's the fault of the one who caused the scandal who thus becomes liable for damages.
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gogogo
Get a real job!
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ironchef
give the dude his props--he earned it.
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apecNetworks
I hope the companies involved give SMAP singer Tsuyoshi Kusanagi an easy out. SMAP has helped people in sooooo many ways, each one of them should be given at least one big screw up in their life. They have been up there for sooooo long, one, or even more chances, should be allowed. In the end, the fans and SMAPs friends will decide if streaking nude in Roppongi is an unforgivable indiscretion.
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kwatt
Why does Kusanagi have to pay a lot of money? He does/did not cancel any contracts. They do/did it.
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viking68
I cannot understand the contract penalty clauses either. It must be mistated in someway because contract law normally does not support such a penalty.
I can understand actual damages like the investment in a particular advertising campaign that could not longer be used. More than likely, these would be very high costs and are limited contractually.
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Spanishwoman
And all this only for getting drunk? And OK, naked, but it was 3 am on a weekday, it's not like he went naked to Shibuya crossing at 3:00 pm on a saturday!
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InTheKnow
Great! He's out of work for a year. One down, four to go.
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nedinjapan
He has to pay for the damages to the image of the companies who advertised their products along with this guy's image. He also has to pay for the costs of ads production which need to be replaced. I guess Tv companies could also sue him for lost earnings because of ads cancellations! This could add up to billions!
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Yelnats
He is not going to have to pay 400 million. That is what they are guessing he could have made. But they may make him and Johnies liable for having to re-shoot promotional with another no talent talento. I do like the guy though. He is my favorite of those SMURP dudes due to the fact that he has taken the time to learn Korean and support cross cultural ties. How many other Japanese do you know that can speak a foreign language.
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tkoind2
ironchef. This guy is a product. He was created, marketed and shoved down the collective throats of Japan like just about every other J-pop attrocity.
You want to give props? Given them to the thousands of musicians who work their behinds off to keep live houses, tiny indie record companies and lots of fans happy. These artists have talent, work hard at perfecting their craft and do most of the sweating and bleeding to keep real music alive in Japan.
They don't have PR teams to dream up their personalities for them. Or fashion directors to make sure they fit some marketable appeal. And they don't have the horrific writers of formulaic music designed to sell, sell, sell.
He got drunk. Half the city is drunk on any given night. He got naked, well ok props for creativity there. Otherwise who cares? He's an awful artist, terrible singer, even worst actor and well off and successful. He doesn't need my props or pity. He needs to get help for drinking, his mental state and both singing and acting lessons. Or more of them anyway.
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tkoind2
p.s. I don't hate him. I hate his music and the industry that created him.
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smithinjapan
Ironchef: "give the dude his props--he earned it."
You think he should be given props because he was drunk and disorderly (naked disorderly at that)? No, sir. Give him props on his accomplishments, give him punishment for his crimes. He made his own bed, my friend.
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dennis0bauer
Cleo
as "talento" are so controlled by the agency the costs will probably go to the agency
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tasha77
what do they say in this country.....49 days and it is all forgotten.
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Sarge
Heck, Kumi Koda's been back to work for some time now after insulting all women over 30, I guess Kusanagi will be back to work soon.
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cracaphat
He can afford it the time off.
Go off and light up a spliff and relax.
He wouldn't be in this situation if he could
have smoked it off.
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TokyoGas
Like I said before, he should just take an extended holiday and relax. Maybe go to a proper Culinary School and then comeback and say something like... "I reflected deeply while chopping onions and shed tears of shame."
Bam! He comes back cleansed and a better cook. :)
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TokyoXtreme
He was probably drugged anyway. Who strips naked from being drunk? My problem with the guy is all of the apologizing he did afterward. What's he got to be sorry for?
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ThonTaddeo
Presumably he thought he was back in his own home, ready to change clothes, maybe take a shower, and go to sleep..
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Hotbox08
Excellent point tkoind2! There are so many street musicians I see out there near train stations that have soooo much talent and the attention is being wasted on those who have no real singing or musical talents like SMAP. Heck, SMAP can't even dance as good as the street dancers I see everyday.
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Soohyen
this is ABSURD! he didn't harm anyone...
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usaexpat
Get off the guy already who gives a sh*t if he was arrested for being drunk and naked. He surely didn't kill anybody so what is everybody so bent about? Stupid decision on his part but seriously if I was an advertiser I wouldn't pull his contract.
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Blissful
Yes, I agree, it(s all about money.
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