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| Nagano Mei No Longer in Prada's Future Projects— Now, Ambassador Role in Question (TokyoSports) |
Looks like Prada is quietly hitting pause on its collaboration with actress Nagano Mei. The luxury brand confirmed in a media response on May 19, 2025, that there are no plans to include her in any upcoming projects—and haven’t been since early April.
What’s murky, though, is her status as a brand ambassador. Prada didn’t comment on whether she’ll be continuing in that role or not. But considering she’s been one of their signature faces since 2019, it’s hard not to notice the shift.
The update follows two rounds of tabloid reports from Shūkan Bunshun (on April 23 and May 7), alleging an affair between Nagano and fellow actor Tanaka Kei. Both stars’ agencies have flat-out denied the rumours, but the headlines seem to have left a mark.
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According to insiders, Prada had already wrapped up its latest project with Nagano before the news hit. But after the reports surfaced, there’s been no sign of her being tapped for anything new.
Nagano has long been associated with Prada’s sleek, modern image—she even posted a cheeky photo of herself on April 4 dangling a brown Prada bag from her head on Instagram. But since the affair talk began, the brand—and several others—have been making quiet exits.
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So far, at least nine companies have reportedly pulled back from using Nagano in advertisements, including big names like Suntory, SK-II, NTT Communications, and Mos Burger. A source in the advertising world told local media that brands are taking a “strict stance,” even though Nagano’s team has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Making matters trickier, Bunshun’s second report included alleged LINE messages between Nagano and Tanaka discussing how to handle the situation. That was apparently a red flag for a lot of companies, even if nothing’s been confirmed.
For now, all eyes are on whether Prada officially drops the “ambassador” title—or if this is just a quiet fade-out behind the scenes.