Japanese variety show king and “DOWNTOWN” member Matsumoto Hitoshi was previously accused of holding sex parties at hotels and sexually assaulting women. He withdrew from seven shows at once, and just made a comeback on streaming platforms last November, but now more unfortunate news has surfaced: the 62-year-old announced on a live broadcast that he has been experiencing continuous bloody stools. After a doctor’s examination revealed he was “full of cancer”, he was diagnosed with colon cancer, underwent emergency surgery, and had a colostomy (artificial anus) fitted. At one point, he thought he was going to die.
Matsumoto shared his health update with fans via a live broadcast on DOWNTOWN's paid platform. His agency, Yoshimoto Kogyo, later issued a statement saying Matsumoto noticed health issues this spring and was hospitalized for treatment. To avoid worrying fans, his illness was not made public during hospitalization. Now that he has been smoothly discharged, he hopes that by sharing his experience, people will better understand the inconveniences faced by those living with a colostomy and show more empathy towards them.
He said that even though it’s not visible from the outside, he now has a section of intestine protruding from his stomach. In the future, he will have to undergo a second phase of surgery to reconnect his intestines. He humorously added that he wants to be a comedian whose intestines stick out but who keeps making people laugh.