TOKYO (TR) – Former Morning Musume member Makoto Ogawa, 38, has confessed to a secret marriage, childbirth, and a subsequent divorce after a weekly tabloid exposed her hidden private life.
Taking to X on Monday, Ogawa apologized for the sudden uproar caused by a recent exposé published by the magazine Flash.
“As written in the article, I got married after leaving my agency, gave birth, and experienced a divorce,” Ogawa wrote to her followers.
The former idol explained that she had deliberately chosen to keep her personal and professional lives strictly separate. Because she never announced her marriage, coming clean about the ensuing divorce proved too daunting.
“As a result, it ended in divorce. But since I hadn’t spoken about it beforehand, it was difficult to suddenly make a public announcement to the world, and the reality is that time just passed,” she admitted.
Looking ahead, Ogawa stated she will continue to work hard as both an entertainer and a single mother. She concluded her statement with a direct plea for privacy regarding her child.
“More than anything, I want to protect the peaceful daily life of my son above all else. I would appreciate your understanding,” she wrote.
A native of Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture, Ogawa joined the powerhouse idol group Morning Musume as a fifth-generation member in 2001. Following her graduation in August 2006, she studied English in New Zealand before returning to Japan to resume her career as an actress and television personality.
