Disgraced Comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto Resumes Activities after 22 Months; Appears Solo in Live Streaming Performance on Agency’s New Platform

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:14 JST, November 2, 2025

Disgraced comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto made his first public appearance in about 22 months on Saturday evening, appearing solo in a live internet show.

The program was shown on Downtown+, a paid streaming service launched on the same day by Yoshimoto Kogyo entertainment agency to provide content featuring its popular manzai comedy duo Downtown, of which Matsumoto is one-half.

Matsumoto suspended his activities in the entertainment industry in January 2024 after the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported that he was suspected of having forced a woman to have sex with him.

The other member of Downtown, Masatoshi Hamada, 62, did not appear in the online show.