"Johnny & Associates Rebrands as 'Smile-Up' Amidst Abuse Scandal, Introduces New Talent Management Entity"
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Asian Junkie
Johnny & Associates, the talent agency tainted by allegations of sexual abuse by its late founder Johnny Kitagawa, will be renamed "Smile-Up" and establish a new company to manage its performers. The renamed company will focus on compensating victims of alleged child sexual abuse, while the new company, yet to be named, will take on the role of talent agency. 478 individuals have come forward as victims, with 325 seeking compensation. The rebranding decision comes after backlash and pressure from the public and media.
