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The story
HumanPictures, the production company behind the films ‘AYUMI’ and ‘Yofu’ (Foster Father), announced that on November 2 it filed suit against actress Izumi Pinko at the Tokyo District Court. At the October 23 stage greeting event, she reportedly called an audience member an “old hag,” refused to stand alongside her co-stars, and intimidated staff — with one staffer reportedly forced into a full floor-bow apology (dogeza). On 5ch, reactions ranged from questions about what the lawsuit could actually achieve, to claims that this kind of behavior has repeated for years, to comparisons with other celebrities of her generation.
[Announcement]
Yesterday (November 2), our company filed suit against Ms. Izumi Pinko at the Tokyo District Court.
We are publishing our official statement regarding the series of events that occurred at the stage greeting for the films “AYUMI” and “Yofu,” held on October 23.
Source: pbs.twimg.com / Original article here
What people said
He's on Ota-Ueda (a late-night talk show hosted by comedians Ota and Ueda).
The facts of what happened are already obvious without a lawsuit.
Probably seeking an official apology plus damages.
What else would there even be to gain?
— I figured someone called Pinko that, but turns out Pinko's the one who said it at the venue?
There's barely anyone older than her in that room.
Well, she's in the movie, so of course she showed up to the stage greeting.
Did she torment him?
and he used to criticize her a lot back in the day.
That's the one where they used to share a room on location shoots back when neither of them had made it,
but once she got famous she stopped even returning his greetings.
but they're kissing up so hard that not one article mentions the dogeza or the power-harassment behavior, not even a little.
They're all forcibly spinning it into just a story about Matsui being named manager, lol.
Die-hard Hanshin Tigers fan Izumi Pinko, on Matsui's appointment as new manager: "I'm so torn today, it's such a big day" — Has she gone soft on the Giants?
[October 24, 2026, 6:56am]
https://www.nikkansports.com/m/entertainment/news/202610230001342_m.html
Or maybe outsiders just figured it was a joke?
The dogeza probably happened behind the scenes, so it might not make the news.
As for the power-harassment angle, the remarks to the audience might just not have been considered newsworthy either — who knows.
He's been in morning dramas (asadora) and the NHK historical drama (taiga), plus he's on variety shows regularly.
He's in the taiga drama, and since he's friends with Ueda from the comedy duo Cream Stew, he pops up on Ueda's shows now and then.
Uenuma had better keep quiet too, from now on.
Wada Akiko doesn't do power harassment — it's all just a bit for her.
Pinko and Madame Dewi are the real deal though.
Even 100-year-old TV producer Ishii Fukuko has cut ties with her,
so it's not like she's just "tolerated by her own generation" either.
Nakama makes sense since she's famous, but why Hayami, lol
Does she just like striking beauties?
But she's managed to coast this long with that same personality fully intact, so in a way you kind of have to admit she's won.
Guess there wasn't a comedian around who could turn it into a laugh.
Hamata's really good at letting a big-name veteran get away with some harassment, then taking them down a peg right after.
Verbal abuse toward the audience: Said things like "old hag."
Refusing to appear at the stage greeting: Said things like "I'm leaving," "I'm not going out there."
Refusing to line up with co-stars: Said "I won't stand with them."
Intimidating remarks to staff: Said things like "I'm a major veteran, you know."
Trouble with staff: Reportedly led to a staffer performing dogeza.
Comments unrelated to the film: Brought up baseball during the stage greeting, saying things like "This isn't the time to be doing this."
I mean, sure, call it power harassment,
but that's just standard Pinko business as usual.
If some old woman does the same thing without that, she just ends up like Pinko or Madame Dewi.
If nothing else, she should take a page from Wada Akiko's book.
Wada Akiko isn't disliked by younger people thanks to "Osechinko" (an online nickname/bit associated with her).
Tomio sees right through everything.
You just can't beat the guy…
Tomio Umezawa is a genuinely good person.
Pinko is seriously bad news.
Apparently there's a mountain of trouble that's never gone public.
Maybe she's one of the last survivors of a generation where harassment was just everyday business.
Tomio Umezawa says plenty on Prebato too,
but it's not a problem because Hamata fights poison with poison.
So the organizing company pockets all the damages?
They're saying all the right things, but the "old hag" who got insulted and the person who had to dogeza get nothing out of it, huh? Lol.
This probably wouldn't even hold up legally in the first place.
The organizer can't sue on behalf of whoever got called "old hag" — and it wasn't even directed at one specific person anyway.
Even calling it power harassment, there's no ongoing pattern, and it's not like it caused anyone a diagnosed mental health condition.
Background and Key Points of the Discussion
It’s unusual for a production company to sue an individual performer over trouble at a stage greeting, and HumanPictures’ statement lists specific conduct, including the “old hag” remark and behavior that reportedly led to a staffer bowing on the floor in apology. Meanwhile, discussion on 5ch split over exactly what grounds the lawsuit rests on and what kind of damages it’s seeking. The statement alone doesn’t clarify whether the remarks were directed at a specific individual or whether they amount to legally recognized, ongoing power harassment, and some commenters questioned who the damages would even go to and whether the case holds up legally. There were also claims, citing past co-stars and anecdotes from various shows, that Izumi Pinko has had a similar reputation for a long time — though it’s worth noting these are individual personal accounts rather than verified facts.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “HumanPictures Files Suit Against Izumi Pinko at Tokyo District Court Over a Series of Events at the October 23 Film Stage Greeting.”
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