The official website of the TBS variety show “All-Star Later Night Festival ’25 Autumn” (0:58 in the morning) was updated on December 9, apologizing for the quiz about Ryoko Hirosue that was given in the late-night broadcast of the show on December 4. Ryoko Hirosue, who had tearfully and vehemently spoken about her life at the end of December, was asked the question, “Who has never reached a speed of 165 km/h? The choices were “Shohei Otani,” “Akira Sasaki,” “Hideki Irabu,” and “Ryoko Hirosue. The correct answer was “Hideki Irabu,” and the host explained that “Ms. Hirosue was reportedly driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee at 165 km/h when the accident occurred. On October 6, Hirosue’s agency announced on its official website, “Inappropriate content concerning Ryoko Hirosue, a member of our company, was aired on TBS TV’s “All Star Later Night Festival 25 Autumn” broadcast on October 4, 2025. In the quiz corner of the program, the question “Who has never reached a speed of 165 km/h? The question “Who has never gone 165 km/h?” was presented along with a picture of the celebrity in question, and a statement by the performer was broadcasted: “Ms. Hirosue was reportedly going 165 km/h when she caused the accident,” the program explained the circumstances. However, the information on which this statement was based was not released by a publicly committed organization, and the police investigation into the accident is still ongoing. Under such circumstances, we believe that treating the incident involving the person in question as a subject for laughter is extremely inappropriate for a person involved in news reporting and broadcasting, and is an act that is extremely defamatory to the person in question and to those involved”. The company then added, “For this reason, we have sent a content-certified letter dated October 6, 2025 to TBS Television Inc. demanding a formal protest and measures to restore the reputation of the person in question. We also demand that the same conduct not be repeated in the future. While freedom of the press and expression should be respected, it goes without saying that expressions that violate the dignity and human rights of others will not be tolerated. ■Full text of the apology on the official website It was inappropriate to treat the traffic accident currently under investigation concerning actor Ryoko Hirosue as the subject of a variety show quiz in the “All-Star Later Night Festival” broadcast on the 4th of this month. We apologize for any inconvenience caused to Ms. Ryoko Hirosue and all concerned by the content of the broadcast. October 9, 2025 TBS TV “All-Star Later Night Festival
