Former Idol Explains Why Stars Marry Fans With Huge Age Gaps
Over the last few years, multiple stories of idols marrying their fans have made headlines, and usually, there is a significant age gap between the two.
Recently, former AKB48 member Nishino Miki left netizens less than impressed by announcing her pregnancy with her husband, Keiichi Yamamoto, who is 31 years older than her.
25-Year-Old Former Idol Announces Pregnancy With 56-Year-Old Husband — Netizens Aren’t Impressed
Yuki Tomoe first met her fan husband when she was 17, confessing her feelings for him after leaving the group. At 20, the idol married her now-husband, getting her parents’ approval to date the 27 years older man.
Recently, a tweet about the couple went viral on X, with many wondering why this has happened more frequently than expected.
Is this true!?🤔 pic.twitter.com/uBUjcgFECK
— Espiritu (@OtakuEspiritu) May 27, 2024
I’ll be honest I don’t find this romantic I find this creepy https://t.co/BnQtBxzgo0 pic.twitter.com/PfNq37bLdE
— Weirdhumanbeing is sleepy (@weirdbeingg) May 29, 2024
hold tf up wdym he's 47 married to a 20 years old girl. this is not cute at all bro https://t.co/i6zpEUQDG5
— dalkisx (@scytatts_) May 29, 2024
A former idol gave her two cents on the phenomenon, filling in the blanks with an unexpected answer.
Idol culture in Japan is very different than in Korea, with people of diverse backgrounds being able to do idol work as a part time gig. An X user with the screen name @mellifera_x3 discussed her experience of being an idol in a tweet.
According to @mellifera_x3, this was a fan’s dream come true, and that many idols will marry rich supporters in order to have financial stability. She even mentioned that she had been proposed to during a meet & greet event.
As a former japanese idol, this is literally what every fan dreams of! its also more common than one might think. many idols after "graduating" go and marry their number 1 fan, for financial stability (and maybe love idk?)
i also got proposed to once DURING the meet and greet 😂 https://t.co/IHaOoTZhNc— stressica (@mellifera_x3) May 28, 2024
As a former japanese idol, this is literally what every fan dreams of! its also more common than one might think. many idols after “graduating” go and marry their number 1 fan, for financial stability (and maybe love idk?) i also got proposed to once DURING the meet and greet
— @mellifera_x3/X
In the replies to her tweet, she further explained that idol work is not always lucrative but is just as hard. This makes it easier for an idol to have an easy way out with someone familiar to them.
most girls quit after like 3 months… it doesnt pay at all and the amount of work is ungodly
so yes the easy way out for a stable life is to marry someone who is obsessed/in love with you and has money 💀— stressica (@mellifera_x3) May 28, 2024
tbh, a lot of entertainers/idols are not interested in having 9-5 jobs. I was the only one in my group who had a university degree. So their hope/dream is it to live off of being an idol or just marry. Some girls like me do it as a job while at uni. (but its full time hours)
— stressica (@mellifera_x3) May 29, 2024
She does mention that these marriages can occur out of love, and that fans should not go in thinking this will happen to them.
i mean, you are paying for a service/performance/merch in the end. Idols do have to make money and it is a very hard job… of course its wrong to assume that ypu will end up marrying your fav idol though😂
— stressica (@mellifera_x3) May 29, 2024
It is interesting to hear this side of the story from someone with insider information!
