The Infamous Girl Group Member Who Was Put Under House Arrest Amid Multiple Scandals
One idol-turned-actress has found herself at the center of not one but several scandals over the course of her career.
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At the age of 12, Kago Ai debuted as a member of the Japanese idol girl group Morning Musume. After she graduated from the group in 2004, Kago became one half of a duo, W, and released six albums before becoming embroiled in her first scandal in August of 2006.
Photos of Kago smoking while underaged (15 at the time) were made public, and W’s activities were suspended. Kago, then 18, spent the rest of that year under house arrest at her family’s home, and during that time she was caught smoking again, resulting in another scandal.
In March of 2007, just as Kago’s smoking controversy was dying down and she was preparing for her comeback, the then 19-year-old idol was photographed going to hot springs with a man 18 years older than her and smoking once again. As a result, Kago Ai was dismissed from her agency, Up-Front Works.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of the idol’s troubles. Following her dismissal, Kago turned to acting and appeared in several projects from 2008 to 2010. In 2009, however, Kago’s romantic relationship with actor Mizumoto Hidejiro ended with Mizumoto’s wife suing both stars for causing her and Mizumoto’s divorce. A family court ruled in favor of the actor’s wife.
After Kago became romantically involved with restaurant owner Ando Haruhiko in 2010, she reportedly began canceling jobs at the last minute and was suspended by her agency. She reportedly ignored her agency’s restrictions and performed live without their permission. Later that year, R&A Promotions announced plans to sue Kago after she decided to leave the agency three years before her contract expired.
Ando, who worked as a liaison between Kago and the agency, was arrested for alleged extortion and alleged yakuza connections, which resulted in Kago being called in for questioning.
Kago’s personal and professional struggles derailed her career, resulting in her taking a step back from the spotlight. She eventually formed an idol group in 2013, Girls Beat!!, but the group’s activities were put on hold after police issued an arrest warrant for Ando, to whom Kago was now married. The couple divorced following this scandal and domestic violence charges filed against Ando by Kago.
Where is Kago Ai now? The star married a beautician in 2016 and now has two children, one fathered by Ando and one with her current husband.
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Despite having had plenty of career setbacks and ongoing controversies, Kago is still pursuing a career in entertainment.
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