Famed Director Accused Of Multiple Sexual Assault Allegations
Women in the acting industry have begun to start coming forward and accusing a famed international director of sexual assault against them.
An internationally recognized and celebrated director by the name of Sion Sono is being accused of sexual assault by multiple women. The director worked with Nicolas Cage on a film last year titled, Prisoners of the Ghostland. Two women have come forward in speaking about the director offering them parts in his films in exchange for sexual favors. While both refused, things seemed to get much more out of hand. An unnamed actress has reported this to a magazine called Shukan Josei. According to the woman, after she refused to have sex with Sono, he called in another woman to perform sexual acts in front of her. She was shocked by all these events and was led outside.
Things began to get much worse, as the unnamed actress claims that she was led outside by the assistant director. Thinking that this was that man attempting to help her, she followed him outside, only he then attempted to take her to a “love hotel.” Sion Sono and his crew are going to be answering soon to these heinous allegations if they are proven to be true. So far there has been no comment made by Sono or the rest of his camp. The unnamed woman also named Sono in Shukan Josei magazine as having done this for years on end, with no one stopping him. She claims that the director has been exploiting his power to have sex with multiple women and helping them achieve success in the industry in exchange for sex.
Another actress claims that Sion Sono convinced her to have sex with him in exchange for work. The director asked told her “I want to screw you while you’re talking to your boyfriend on the phone.” She claimed to not have a boyfriend which then resulted in Sono telling her to get one as that was the thing he was into. These allegations come on the heels of a pair of directors by the name of Hideo Sakaki and Houka Kinoshita also being accused of sexual assault by multiple women as well. Depending on the fallout from the claims made about these directors, Japan might soon experience its own version of the #metoo movement. The #metoo movement was massive in the United States and it could lead to other countries following suit finally.
Sion Sono famously worked on films like Suicide Club, which began to get him some international attention. His follow-up was called Love Exposure, which netted him the FIPRESCI Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2008. Sono would then get to work with Nicolas Cage on Prisoners of the Ghostland. The film was delayed when Sono had a heart attack in 2019, but it was released in 2021. Sono is also married to a former pin-up model, Megumi Kagurazaka, and the pair have one child together.
Sion Sono and the other directors that have been accused of sexual assault by actresses in the field could start a snowball effect on the industry in Japan. With how important the #metoo movement was in the industry in the United States, it could lead to a massive change there as well. Figures like Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey were immediately called out and accused of multiple sexual assault allegations which saw their careers end. Weinstein ended up in prison over the massive number of women that came forward. Sono might be joining that list soon if the allegations made against him are confirmed.
