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| NHK: Nagano Mei Out of Taiga Drama Toyotomi Kyoudai! Following Affair Reports (Livedoor/Josei Seven) |
On 18 May, Nagano Mei’s agency officially pulled her from NHK’s upcoming 2026 Taiga drama Toyotomi Kyoudai! — and it’s not just some scheduling hiccup. The decision follows a string of scandal reports that’ve had tabloids in overdrive for the past month.
NHK confirmed the dropout via its official website on the 19th, noting that they received a formal withdrawal request from Nagano’s side on the 18th. After internal discussion, the broadcaster agreed to let her go.
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Her agency issued a rather carefully worded statement, saying:
“Taking into account the significant concern and inconvenience caused to those involved due to the recent reports, we have decided to withdraw Mei Nagano from the cast.”
They also added a formal apology to fans and colleagues who were looking forward to the project. Bit of a mic drop moment, really.
Nagano was set to play Nao, the childhood friend and first love of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s brother, Hidechou — a pretty prominent emotional anchor in the story. The drama, fronted by her agency-mate Nakano Taiga, is centred on Hidechou’s unsung role in helping unify Japan. Shooting was rumoured to kick off just around the corner, so the timing of this decision is... yeah, far from ideal.
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This is the first confirmed casting fallout connected to the affair rumours that’ve been swirling around Nagano and actor Tanaka Kei (40). Since April, she's been caught up in a media firestorm following reports from Shukan Bunshun suggesting a not-so-innocent connection between the two — although both sides have publicly denied anything improper.
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Despite no contracts being axed (yet), at least nine major brands have quietly shelved her commercial content — a telltale sign that sponsors aren’t exactly keen to get tangled up in the drama. Still, her agency insists there are no plans for a hiatus and she's not stepping back from the spotlight entirely. So don’t count her out just yet.
For now, it looks like NHK will be scrambling to recast one of the lead roles with just months before filming — a solid reminder that in the entertainment world, timing and headlines can be just as critical as the script.