Seiyuu Toru Furuya, the man behind iconic characters such as Tuxedo Mask in Sailor Moon, Yamcha in Dragon Ball, Amuro Ray in Gundam and Sabo in One Piece's private life has been exposed, and it isn't pretty.

An exposé in Japanese magazine Shukan Bunshun revealed that since 2020, Furuya, currently aged 70, had been in an extramarital relationship with a fan, currently 37. Over the course of their relationship, Furuya was purportedly physically abusive to her, and pressured her into getting an abortion after getting her pregnant in 2021. Furuya has also been married since 1985, his second marriage after he was divorced from his first wife in 1983 after 8 years of marriage.

Furuya responded to the article on Twitter, pretty much confessing to the adultery, the abuse and the abortion wera all true. He said:

"I, Toru Furuya, have been interviewed by the Weekly Bunshun. I would like to apologize and report on a serious crime that I have committed. I had an affair with a female fan for four and a half years until last September. I was attracted to her because of her straightforward support for me, and I contacted her on my own, even though I was shallow, and the relationship began. During our relationship, we had an argument once and I unintentionally raised my hand. It was the worst thing I could have done as an adult and as a human being. I also made the unforgivable mistake of causing her to have an abortion. I am truly, truly sorry for the deep hurt I caused the other woman, both physically and mentally. I cannot apologize enough for betraying the trust of all my fans who have supported me over the years, disappointing them, hurting them, and tarnishing my character. I have also betrayed the trust of everyone involved and have caused a great deal of trouble. I have spent the rest of my life trying to be sincere and honest. I will spend the rest of my life making amends with all my heart and soul. I am prepared to accept any and all sanctions. I am truly sorry."

Furuya was also scheduled to appear as a guest at MomoCon in Atlanta, Georgia later this week, however they confirmed he will no longer be appearing in light of the news. It's not clear at this point whether that was his decision or MomoCon's, but news like that will naturally have a big impact on an actor's career. 

Cancel culture in Japan works differently to how it does in the west; when someone gets cancelled over there their career is essentially over forever. It's unlikely we'll see Furuya appear in anything for a while at least, and it's possible his current roles like Daleland in Fluffy Paradise and the narrator in Highspeed Etoile could be recast in the future.

What do you guys think of this? Do you think his career will bounce back eventually? Let us know below!