YouTuber GaaSyy given suspended prison term for defaming celebrities

Internet personality and former lawmaker GaaSyy was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for five years, by the Tokyo District Court on Thursday for defaming and intimidating celebrities in online videos.

The 52-year-old GaaSyy, whose real name is Yoshikazu Higashitani, was on trial for having repeatedly defamed four people — including actor Go Ayano, 42 — on online video platforms such as YouTube between February 2022 and August that year. He additionally threatened two out of the four after finding out that they were filing a criminal lawsuit.

Presiding Judge Koji Saeki ruled that although GaaSyy had said the motivation for making the videos was to reveal alleged misdeeds by celebrities, in reality it stemmed from of “a selfish desire” to gain views and make money, so he could repay his own debts.