Anime voice actor Toru Furuya, best known for voicing characters in Dragon Ball, Gundam, One Piece, and Sailor Moon, has issued an apology after a report uncovered his illicit affair with a fan.
In May 2024, the Japanese magazine Weekly Bunshun published a report that the 70-year-old Furuya had engaged in an affair with a younger fan.
Furuya has since issued an apology, admitting that he was with the anime fan for 4.5 years, put his hands on her, and even at one point forced her to have an abortion.
“I had an affair with a female fan for four and a half years until last September. I was attracted to her because of her straightforward support for me, and I foolishly contacted her myself to start the relationship,” he said. “During our relationship, we argued once and I unintentionally raised my hand. It was the worst thing I could have done as an adult and as a human being.”
週刊誌報道について謹んでお詫びとご報告申し上げます。 pic.twitter.com/GRu7QJIEWP
— 古谷 徹 Toru Furuya (@torushome) May 22, 2024
“I also made the unforgivable mistake of causing her to have an abortion. I am truly, truly sorry for the deep hurt that I caused the other woman, both physically and mentally,” he added.
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The 70-year-old, who voiced Yamcha in Dragon Ball and Sabo in One Piece, further apologized for “betraying” the trust of his fans and “tarnishing” his character.
“I will sincerely make amends with all my heart and soul with the rest of my life. I am prepared to accept any and all sanctions. I am truly sorry,” his apology concluded.
Due to recent news, Toru Furuya will no longer be appearing at MomoCon 2024, thank you for your understanding
— MomoCon (@MomoCon) May 22, 2024
The ramifications of Furuya’s actions have already been felt. The voice actor was scheduled to be at MomoCon 2024, but the convention canceled his appearance following the damning report and his subsequent apology.