A US investment management firm has reportedly asked Japanese broadcaster Fuji Television Network to hold another news conference on a scandal involving popular personality Nakai Masahiro that is open to all media.

US media outlet Bloomberg reported that Dalton Investments sent a letter dated Tuesday to Fuji Media Holdings, the parent company of the network. The US firm owns more than seven percent of Fuji Media's shares.

The report said the letter criticized Fuji TV's news conference held last Friday, as only a limited number of media outlets were invited and no TV coverage was allowed.

Dalton Investments reportedly requested that another news conference be held by Fuji TV President Minato Koichi this week, and that all journalists be allowed to attend.

The letter also noted that Fuji TV plans to set up a panel composed mainly of independent lawyers, and urged the broadcaster to establish a third-party committee of only outside experts.

The US firm and its affiliated company sent a letter to Fuji Media last week to request that a third-party committee be set up to examine the matter.

The scandal surfaced last month when weekly magazines reported that Nakai, once a member of the disbanded pop idol group SMAP, got into "trouble" with a woman in 2023 and paid her settlement money.

The reports also said a Fuji TV employee played a role in the alleged incident.