AKB48’s Minami Minegishi caught leaving man’s apartment, shaves head & posts tearful YouTube apology
By Cherrie Lou Billones / February 1, 2013 / 13 Comments
In its latest issue, tabloid Shukan Bunshun reported that AKB48 member Minami Minegishi spent a night at the home of pop-group Generations member Alan Shirahama and posted a photo of her leaving his house on the morning of January 17th. The 20-year old pop star was seen wearing a white breathing mask, a cap, and an oversized jacket, as she strolled on the sidewalk outside Shirahama’s apartment building in Setagaya Ward. The scandal caused AKB48’s management to demote her to kenkyuusei (“trainee level”) beginning February 1, as stated in the band’s official blog.
Soon after, a video was posted on AKB48’s official YouTube page showing a somber and tearful Minegishi, now sporting a shaved head, apologizing to her fellow members, the fans, management, her family and the public in general for the article about her. She said that she has lost track of her responsibilities as a senior member of the pop group and that what she showed was a “lack of self-awareness behavior.” She maintained that she didn’t want to leave the group, but that she is leaving it up to the group’s manager, Akimoto Yasushi, to decide on her fate.
Both Minegishi and Shirahama are not only musical pop icons, but they have starred separately in a number of television shows as well. In 2011, they appeared together in a reading drama called “Moshimo Kimi ga.” Also worthy to note is that the management of AKB48 has a strict rule that its members are not allowed to have sexual or romantic relations while they are with the group. Minegishi’s apology video can be seen below, along with an English translation.
AKB48’s Minami Minegishi caught leaving man’s apartment, shaves head
Originariamente Scritto da Decay
