Masahiro Nakai, one of Japan’s top TV hosts and a former pop star, said Thursday he was retiring to take responsibility over sexual assault allegations that are part of a wave roiling Japan's entertainment industry and have triggered an avalanche of lost advertising at one of the networks where he worked.

Japanese TV host Masahiro Nakai, one of the most prominent figures in Japan's entertainment industry, has announced his retirement following a sexual assault allegation that has caused shockwaves throughout the country.

Nakai’s decision came following reports that he engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with a woman that led to a settlement with the victim.