Jujutsu Kaisen Star Ousted From New Anime Amid Infidelity Scandal

It seems like the scandal involving one of Jujutsu Kaisen’s top stars is not going anywhere any time soon. If you did not know, the voice actor behind Geto in Japan found themselves in deep trouble months ago when news regarding his personal life went live. Reports revealed Takahiro Sakurai pursued an affair despite being married, and now, it seems the situation that pushed the actor out of an upcoming anime.

According to a new update, Sakurai is no longer set to star in Ayaka. The original anime had cast the actor to play Haruaki Kurama but that is no longer the situation. The team behind Ayaka says Sakurai won’t be involved for “various reasons” but fans have been quick to speculate the reason is due to the star’s scandal.

At this time, it is not clear whether Sakurai left the role voluntarily or was pushed out of the gig. Ayaka has not announced the star’s replacement either but still plans to hit the air later this year.

Of course, the anime fandom is buzzing over this update as Sakurai’s voice-acting career has remained untouched by his affair until now. However, the public nature of the actor’s extramarital romance has put Sakurai under intense scrutiny. News of his infidelity was made public in Fall 2022 as Shukan Bunshun reported Sakurai was seeing a writer on his radio show despite having been married for almost 20 years. The affair allegedly lasted ten years, and Sakurai’s mistress thought the two would wed as she wasn’t aware the actor was actually married. The situation bubbled over when the writer was fired in October 2022 with no warning, and now, Sakurai is facing a legal battle against his mistress over emotional damages.

Clearly, this situation has a lot of layers, and Sakurai’s reputation has taken a big hit. Now, the question remains whether his role in Jujutsu Kaisen will continue. The hit series is slated to return with season two shortly, and Sakura’s character Geto will play a major role in the comeback. Fans have speculated the scandal’s bad press may force Sakurai out of the role, but so far, it seems like nothing has changed with Jujutsu Kaisen’s cast.

What do you think about this latest update on Sakurai’s scandal? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.