Japanese actress Ryoko Hirosue to suspend activities after bipolar diagnosis
An official site for the 44-year-old star posted a notice on May 2 explaining that Hirosue has been receiving treatment at a hospital in Tokyo after she was released from police custody on April 16.
She was arrested on April 8 for allegedly attacking a nurse at a hospital where she was taken to following a car accident.
The notice, put up by Hirosue's self-founded agency R.H., said she has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a mental health condition characterised by extreme mood swings, and hyperthyroidism, a condition that can lead to unintended weight loss and heart palpitations.
'We deeply regret how both Hirosue herself and the people around her dismissed her illness and suffering as simply 'poor health'. Hirosue will now take a break from all entertainment activities and focus on recovering her mental and physical health for the time being,' the agency said.
It added that the disclosure of Hirosue's illness is not to escape accountability for her legal troubles. The agency also said: 'We will continue to sincerely cooperate with the police in all their investigations.'
Hirosue's suspension comes after a string of bad press for the star, who rose to fame in the 1990s with TV series such as Beach Boys (1997) and Sekai De Ichiban Papa Ga Suki (I Love My Dad More Than Anything In The World, 1998). She has also starred in films like the Oscar-winning Departures (2008).
Aside from the alleged assault, Hirosue was exposed in June 2023 by Japanese tabloids for an extramarital affair with Japanese chef Shusaku Toba, 46. She announced her divorce from her husband, Japanese candle artist Jun Izutsu, 51, a month later .
Hirosue and Mr Izutsu have a son, 14, and a daughter, nine. She also has a 21-year-old son from her first marriage to Japanese designer Takahiro Okazawa, 49.
The scandal caused her then-agency Flamme, which had represented her for 25 years, to suspend her activities indefinitely. They parted ways in February 2024 and she set up her own agency R.H.
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
14 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Gary Busey pleads guilty to groping woman at horror film convention, Entertainment News
Gary Busey has pleaded guilty to groping a woman at a New Jersey horror film convention. The 81-year-old actor admitted that he deliberately touched a woman inappropriately while posing with fans as he pleaded guilty to criminal sexual misconduct at a virtual court appearance on Thursday (July 31). The incident occurred at the Monster-Mania Con in August 2022 as Busey was accused of groping several women who filed reports with the police. The Lethal Weapon star was charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact in the fourth degree, one count of attempting criminal sexual contact in the fourth degree and one disorderly count of harassment. Under the plea agreement, prosecutors will drop the remaining charges against Gary - who faces between one to five years of probation and fines. He has also agreed not to contact the victim. Gary - who appeared distracted during the hearing and was scolded by judge Gwendolyn Blue for drinking from a soda can - will be sentenced on Sept 18. His guilty plea comes after he initially claimed that the women had made up their accusations. Busey told TMZ in 2022: "None of that happened. "There was a partner, a camera lady, and me and two girls. It took less than 10 seconds, and then they left. Then, they made up this story that I assaulted them sexually - but I did not." It is not the first time that the Oscar-nominated actor has fallen foul of the law as he faced drug charges in 1995 after being hospitalised following a near-fatal cocaine overdose. The Point Break star - who suffered permanent brain damage in a 1988 motorcycle accident - has previously been arrested on charges of spousal abuse and was also accused of sexual assault by a female employee when he took part in the Celebrity Apprentice in 2011. [[nid:714983]] Busey's son Luke previously recalled how the motorcycle accident completely changed his father's personality after he underwent brain surgery to recover from his serious injuries. He told The Hollywood Reporter: "At 17, I had to teach him with my mom to talk, to eat, to feed himself. To walk again. To write. That was very difficult for me at that age. The post-accident version of him turned his personality up to 11. I feel like I lost my dad on Dec 4, 1988."
AsiaOne
a day ago
- AsiaOne
E-Junkies: J-pop group Psychic Fever talk global goals and new EP , Entertainment News
It's been over a year since Psychic Fever from Exile Tribe dropped their hit song Just Like Dat, and AsiaOne recently caught up with the Japanese boy band to find out how their journey has been since. The Just Like Dat music video, which premiered in January 2024, has amassed over 20 million views on YouTube and youngest member Weesa, 21, said they didn't expect the virality. "It made us happy to see it create buzz on social media platforms like TikTok. When we went overseas, we were really happy fans could sing along to our song," he added. The song was well-received internationally and on TikTok, netizens covered the song under the hashtag #JustLikeDatChallenge. @psyfe_official #JustLikeDatChallenge #JustLikeDat 🙌 #PSYCHICFEVER #99_9_Psychic_Radio #99_9MHz ♬ Just Like Dat feat. JP THE WAVY - PSYCHIC FEVER from EXILE TRIBE Formed in 2019, the seven-member group - consisting of Tsurugi, Ryoga Nakanishi, Ren Watanabe, Jimmy, Kokoro Kohatsu, Ryushin Handa and Weesa - had a few pre-debut releases before their official debut in July 2022 with the album P.C.F. Ryoga, 27, recalled how they spent six months training in Thailand right after their debut. "We faced many challenges there but it was a valuable experience for us. We learned a lot of things which helped us go global," he said. J-pop has been having a resurgence of sorts in recent years, and when asked how they felt being part of this new wave, Kokoro, who turns 25 in November, added how they debuted with the main goal of going global. Now that they have - the group has toured Asia, Europe and the US the past year - he said they hope to become a leading music group while preserving their individual styles. Their new EP [embed] The group recently released their EP Psychic File III, and while the title track Gelato is a catchy summer tune, it's only a peek at what Psychic Fever has to offer. "In this EP we have four songs and each one is in a different genre, so I think it can be enjoyed by people of all ages," said Ryushin, who turns 24 in Deccember. The song he recommends? Reflection. "It has our usual style but also a different way of expression. Please pay attention to the lyrics and choreography as well," he added. Meanwhile, Tsurugi's pick is Evolve. "When you listen to this track, you can really feel the energy we bring to our live shows. More than anything, it excites me everytime I hear it, so it's definitely one of my favourite songs," said the 28-year-old. Psychic Fever behind the cameras [embed] Having spent so much time touring the past year, we wanted to know what they've learnt about each other. The question though, was met with seven loading buttons. At one point, Ren, 25, seemed to be thinking up an answer and after a few minutes of the members waiting for his thoughts, he gave up and facepalmed. Ever-so-motherly Ryoga stepped up with a response: "We spent a lot of time together during our US tour and I got to see who wakes up the earliest and how a member eats their breakfast. "Through spending more time together, I was able to see how they motivate themselves for the live shows." When there's a mix of introverts and extroverts in the group, one person would usually take the lead and initiative. For Psychic Fever, that's 25-year-old Jimmy. "He's usually the one who does research about the places we want to go to," shared Ryoga. Who likes trying everyone else's food, and who cried watching anime? Check out our E-Junkies interview for more. [[nid:720711]] syarifahsn@ No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.
AsiaOne
3 days ago
- AsiaOne
Daily roundup: I try 11 new Michelin Bib Gourmand 2025 eateries to see if they're worth the hype — and other top stories today, World News
Stay in the know with a recap of our top stories today. 1. I try 11 new Michelin Bib Gourmand 2025 eateries to see if they're worth the hype, here's my honest take It's the time of the year where Michelin announces which establishments have gotten a spot on its highly coveted guide. The 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand list was released on July 17, and there were nine new entrants plus two eateries that moved up from the Michelin Selected category, bringing the total to 11 new additions... » READ MORE 2. Driver, 83, hits motorcyclist and crashes into Clementi coffee shop bollards, missing diners An 83-year-old woman allegedly lost control of her vehicle, hitting a motorcyclist before crashing into bollards outside a coffee shop in Clementi on Monday (July 28). The incident occurred at about 6.35pm at Block 449, Clementi Avenue 3... » READ MORE 3. Japanese restaurant Umi Nami to shutter, in yet another F&B business closure at Holland Village Another one bites the dust at Holland Village as Japanese restaurant Umi Nami announced its impending closure in an Instagram post on Monday (July 28). In the post, the restaurant thanked customers for their support and stated that its menu and operating hours may change as it prepares for closure, and more updates will be available on the establishment's Instagram and TikTok pages... » READ MORE 4. Eleanor Lee wins defamation lawsuit in China, former assistant to apologise on Weibo Singaporean Eleanor Lee has won the defamation lawsuit against her former assistant, only known as Xiao Pang, who edited and released an audio clip online in April, damaging the actress' reputation in China. Her lawyer Yang Shuguang revealed this in a Weibo post yesterday (July 29), adding in his statement, the court recognised that Xiao Pang, despite knowing posting the fabricated content online could damage Eleanor's reputation, continued to do so just so that they could "vent their unhappiness"... » READ MORE editor@
