According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 43rd of last month, KATACOTO BANK member Tojo Momoka posted a photo on social media on the 23rd of last month, showing her enjoying a birthday party with her boyfriend. The photo quickly stirred controversy.
Momoka stated, “I sincerely apologize for causing harm and discomfort to fans and stakeholders due to my thoughtless behavior. I lacked awareness as an idol. I will strive to ensure such incidents do not happen again.”
The agency clarified via social media, “The investigation revealed that the man in the photo is Momoka’s current boyfriend, who is an ordinary person.”
They continued, “This behavior, which reflects a lack of awareness as an idol, is unacceptable. After consulting with Momoka, we decided on certain measures.”
The measures mentioned by the agency include posting daily solo sleeping selfies every evening for a year and maintaining distance from her boyfriend.
The agency also added, “If you find any photos that appear to show Momoka with her boyfriend, please report them.”
After the official punishment was announced, Momoka has been posting daily selfies of herself sleeping alone on social media.
In her first post on the 27th of last month, she included a selfie with the caption, “Good night. I will work hard again tomorrow. Please take care.”
Reactions from netizens have been mixed. Some feel sympathy for her, suggesting that despite the decrease in fan support, she should have distanced herself from her boyfriend, calling her actions unprofessional and hoping she finds a new job.
Others criticized the reaction as excessive, stating, “Posting daily solo photos is problematic,” “Idols shouldn’t be banned from having boyfriends,” and “The company is wrong for using this as a marketing strategy.”
Source: insight
