ELISA is a Japanese singer and Fashion Model who debuted back 2007 when she was in high school and since then, she has not looked back. Her most renowned work as a singer includes the theme song of Ef: a tale of memories anime series and other theme songs for various successful anime series like Hayate the Combat Butler, The World God Only Knows, Nabari no Ou, etc. She continued to grow as an artist and soon signed with Sony Music Company Japan in 2013. In 2017 she moved to work with the Sacra Music record label under Sony Music Entertainment Japan.
What Happened With ELISA
According to a report by Shinchosha’s Daily Shincho on Wednesday, ELISA had terminated her contract with Smile Company over claims of being sexually harassed by her manager. In the statement, she mentioned that ever since she started working with this new manager she began being hassled. This had started in 2018 and she had wanted to expose the truth on several occasions but could not, over the fear of being scrutinized and the effect on her professional life. Exposing the truth would have implied that she may have lost her contract and in Japanese culture, this implied that one has no loyalty to the company no matter what the situation.
The manager, whose name remains anonymous and hidden from the public by the company, invited her out to meals and drinks, declining such invitations again was a sign od disrespect in the Japanese culture. Sources say the Manager is a 30-year-old married man with a child, but that is all one can find when digging into his identity. Most of the instances where such sexual harassment takes place to happen when the manager was intoxicated, and she was in no position to fight back. He allegedly did not stop touching her even when she was clearly uncomfortable and continued to kiss and push himself onto her.
When ELISA had moved into a new house, she recalls the manager coming over and offering to help set up electrical appliances but in the end, he forced himself onto her, when she resisted and protested, he claimed that he was serious about her and wanted to take things further. This is when she had reached her tipping point and decided to come out with the truth to act against what had been done to her.
What Action Was Taken
When ELISA took this to the Smile Company and reported the harassment by her Manager. The President of the company listened to her and decided to get a lawyer involved, this would help get a picture of both the sides and conclude on how to proceed. The company acknowledged the actions of the Manager but passed it off as a lover’s quarrel, stating that talent often enters relationships with their Manager. No action was been taken against the Manager and his identity still remains unknown, whereas this has affected ELISA’s career and she proceeded to terminate her contract with Sony Music Company Japan.
