Actress Pinko Izumi (79) has been sued in the Tokyo District Court by production company Human Pictures over her "old hag" remark and bowing incident at a stage greeting for the films "AYUMI" and "Yabu" on October 23, 2026. The person who bowed was the MC, Bardot, who has also indicated her intention to pursue legal action as a plaintiff.

[2026] Summary of Izumi Pinko's "old hag" remark and bowing-in-apology controversy | Reasons for the lawsuit and future

Q. Why was Izumi Pinko sued?

A. On November 2, 2026, HumanPictures, the production company, filed a lawsuit in the Tokyo District Court seeking damages, citing reasons such as her calling the audience "old hag" at a stage greeting for the films "AYUMI" and "Yabu" on October 23, 2026, and her behavior during the stage appearances which led to the MC having to prostrate himself in apology.

Q. Who was the one who bowed down in apology?

A. It was the author, Bardot, who emceed the stage greeting. She revealed this herself on Instagram on November 10, 2026.

Q. What is Izumi Pinko's comment?

A. As of November 12, 2026, Izumi Pinko's side has not issued an official statement.

What is the story behind Izumi Pinko's "old hag" comment and the subsequent bowing in apology?
The details of the prostration incident | Who prostrated themselves?
The "old hag" comment and the behavior towards co-stars during the stage greeting
Reasons why Izumi Pinko was sued | Details of the lawsuit
Izumi Pinko's response and the future of the lawsuit
Timeline of the incident
Reactions to the video of the stage greeting
Izumi Pinko's Profile
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What was the controversy surrounding Izumi Pinko's "old hag" remark and subsequent bowing in apology?

Actress Pinko Izumi (79) has been sued by Human Pictures, the production company of the films "AYUMI" and "Yabu," over her behavior at the Japan premiere stage greeting for both films, which took place in Tokyo on October 23, 2026.

👉HumanPictures/Kazuhiro Teranishi Office Official X

【2026年】泉ピン子「ババア」発言・土下座騒動まとめ｜訴訟の理由と今後

HumanPictures is a film production company whose representative director is Kazuhiro Teranishi, the writer who directed and wrote the screenplays for both films. The company filed a lawsuit seeking damages with the Tokyo District Court on November 2, 2026, and announced this on its official website and official X account on November 3, 2026.

item	Content
The person who was sued	Izumi Pinko (79)
The plaintiff	HumanPictures Co., Ltd. (Representative: Kazuhiro Teranishi)
The place in question	Stage greeting at the Japan premiere of the films "AYUMI" and "Foster Father" (October 23, 2026)
Date of filing	November 2, 2026 (Tokyo District Court)
Billing details	Damages (amount not disclosed)

2. The background of the prostration incident | Who was the one who prostrated?

She refused to go on stage just before the start of the stage greeting.

According to Teranishi's side, just before the start of the stage greeting, Izumi Pinko disliked the clothing and appearance of Bardot, who was hosting the event, and refused to appear on the same stage.

HumanPictures claims that when it came to taking the stage, Izumi Pinko made comments such as "I'm going home," "I'm not going out," "I'm not going to stand next to you," and "I'm a seasoned veteran," which ultimately led to the presenters having to prostrate themselves in apology.

It was Bardot who bowed down in apology.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Dfj3UayARD_ /

The person who bowed in apology was the host, author Bardot. Bardot revealed the following on Instagram on November 10, 2026:

It was I who prostrated myself before Izumi Pinko that day.

In the post, she mentions that about 50 of her fans and people involved with the company had come to the stage greetings for both films, and then writes about her feelings, saying, "I was truly disappointed and saddened."

Bardot is starring in a drama based on her own true story, "Bardot: Want to Take a Peek into Hell?" (scheduled to be released on a major video streaming service in winter 2026), in which she co-stars with Izumi Pinko.

3. Her use of the word "old hag" during a stage greeting and her behavior towards her co-stars.

Izumi Pinko did eventually appear on stage for a greeting, but HumanPictures claims that she called audience members who had purchased tickets "old hag" from the stage.

In addition, the following behaviors were reported during the stage greetings:

subject	Content of words and actions
audience	He said "old hag".
co-stars	He interrupted the conversation and called some of the co-stars "too fat."
12-year-old child actor	To the greeting, "I was really looking forward to meeting you all today," the response was, "You're lying."
the work	Regarding "AYUMI," he said, "Thank you for gathering for this incomprehensible film."

On the day of the stage greeting, these remarks were perceived as typical of Izumi Pinko's uninhibited talk, and there were reportedly moments when laughter erupted from the audience.

4. Reasons why Izumi Pinko was sued | Details of the lawsuit

HumanPictures has categorized Izumi Pinko's words and actions as "serious acts that could constitute power harassment."

The plaintiff's claims	Content
Insulting the audience	He made derogatory remarks to the audience, such as calling them "old hags."
Pressure on speakers	The speaker refused to take the stage, and ultimately the speaker had to prostrate themselves in apology.
Influence on the work	This had a negative impact on the progress of the stage greetings and the promotion of both films.
Reasons for filing the lawsuit	There was no subsequent apology or retraction of the statement.

Furthermore, Bardot also wrote on Instagram, "I intend to proceed with legal proceedings as a plaintiff myself," indicating her intention to take legal action.

These are all claims made by the plaintiff, and as of November 12, 2026, no judicial decision has been made.

5. Izumi Pinko's response and the future of the lawsuit

Izumi Pinko's side has not issued a statement.

As of November 12, 2026, Izumi Pinko's side has not issued an official statement. When Tokyo Sports WEB requested an interview with Izumi Pinko's side on November 11, 2026, they were told that the person in charge was unavailable and did not receive a reply.

A source said, "It was probably just business as usual."

According to entertainment industry sources, Izumi Pinko's use of the term "babaa" (old hag) to refer to older women has been a long-standing habit of hers, and her behavior before and after the stage greeting was likely just "business as usual" for her. In an interview on the YouTube channel "WWS Channel" released in September 2026, Izumi Pinko also said, "Is there a broadcast? I can't watch it." Sources say that Izumi Pinko is bewildered after being informed of the lawsuit.

The future of the lawsuit

HumanPictures stated that they would "clarify the facts in court going forward." As of November 12, 2026, the amount claimed has not been made public.

6. Timeline of the incident

date	event
October 23, 2026	The release date for the films "AYUMI" and "Foster Father" is approaching. A Japan premiere stage greeting will be held in Tokyo.
November 2, 2026	HumanPictures files lawsuit in Tokyo District Court
November 3, 2026	HumanPictures announces lawsuit on its official website and official X page.
November 10, 2026	Bardot revealed on Instagram that she was the one who bowed in apology and expressed her intention to pursue legal action as the plaintiff.
November 11, 2026	When we requested an interview with Izumi Pinko's representative, we were told "the person in charge is unavailable."

7. Reactions to the video of the stage greeting

The video of the stage greeting has received comments such as, "She deserved to be sued," and "All the co-stars look so strained, it's pitiful." In addition, following Bardot's confession, there have been comments expressing concern for her.

8. Profile of Pinko Izumi

item	Content
name	Izumi Pinko
date of birth	September 11, 1947 (age 79)
Birthplace	Tokyo
debut	He debuted in 1966 as a comedic singer and entertainer.
Representative work	NHK serial drama "Oshin" (1983), TBS drama "Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari"

In the film "Foster Father," she won the Best Supporting Actress award at the Hollywood International Indie Film and Screenplay Awards 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. Who was Izumi Pinko calling "old hag"?

A. I was a member of the audience who attended the stage greeting for the films "AYUMI" and "Yabu" on October 23, 2026. HumanPictures claims that the remarks were insulting to audience members who purchased tickets and attended the event.

Q2. Who sued Izumi Pinko?

A. It is Human Pictures, the production company behind the films "AYUMI" and "Foster Father." The representative director is Kazuhiro Teranishi, who directed and wrote the screenplays for both films. The host, Bardot, has also indicated her intention to pursue legal action as a plaintiff.