Celebrity Voice Actor Ousted from Theater Production Amid Controversy

Voice actor Toru Furuya (70), who admitted to having an affair, pressuring his partner into an abortion, and committing dating violence, has stepped down from a scheduled stage reading.

On the 23rd (local time), Reading World, the organizer of the stage reading, announced Furuya’s withdrawal on their official website.

Reading World posted a notice titled “Announcement of Cast Withdrawal and Apology.”

Reading World stated, “Toru Furuya, who was scheduled to appear in the stage reading Reading World: UNESCO World Heritage Site, Rebirth to Illiteracy, The End of the Promise also known as The End of the Promise, has withdrawn due to various circumstances.”

Reading World continued, “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to those who were looking forward to Furuya’s performance. We feel we have caused a great deal of inconvenience to all involved and we apologize once again.”

The stage reading for The End of the Promise will proceed as planned. Reading World explained, “The performance will be screened as scheduled. Tickets can only be canceled during the pre-order acceptance period. If you wish to cancel, please proceed with ‘application cancellation.”

Reading World concluded, “All cast members and production staff will strive for your satisfaction. We ask for your understanding.”

A day earlier, on the 22nd, Furuya admitted to having an affair and pressuring his mistress into an abortion on X. He had an extramarital affair with a woman in her 30s, who was a fan of his, for four and a half years. When the mistress became pregnant, he demanded that she have an abortion. Furthermore, Furuya abused the mistress during their disputes.

Furuya is a renowned voice actor in Japan and has dubbed characters such as Tooru Amuro and Rei Furuya in the animation Detective Conan, Mamoru Chiba (Tuxedo Mask) in the Sailor Moon series, and Sabo in One Piece.

Notably, the characters Tooru Amuro and Rei Furuya in Detective Conan were named after him.