J-Pop girl group iLiFE! has plunged into chaos after three of its members became embroiled in scandals over leaked private photos with boyfriends within just a week.
According to Yahoo Japan, iLiFE! debuted in 2020 with five members and currently consists of eight, as part of the larger umbrella collective HEROINES, which manages multiple sub-groups. Just two days before the group’s concert at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan, 19-year-old Nara Nodoka was suddenly expelled.
In a statement, management company “imaginate” announced that Nara was dismissed for “serious rule violations.” This came after leaked images of Nara with her alleged boyfriend spread on social media. She was also accused of speaking negatively about her fellow members in private LINE messages.
Despite her expulsion, Nara was allowed to participate in the concert, explaining that she didn’t want her absence to become a burden on the other members.
One day later, “imaginate” announced that group leader Konoka Riri (26) had been demoted and penalized for “inappropriate behavior.” The decision followed the circulation of a video on X (formerly Twitter), which racked up over 20 million views, showing Riri cuddling and kissing a man. She later confirmed she was the person in the clip and issued a public apology for damaging the group’s image.
Most recently, 17-year-old Wakaba Noa also faced scrutiny after a pre-debut photo with an alleged boyfriend resurfaced online. Noa confirmed the relationship but clarified that it ended before her idol debut. She explained that she had occasionally kept in touch with him as a friend but denied any romantic involvement since becoming an idol.
“The photo being shared was taken when I was in my second year of middle school. I ended the relationship to pursue my idol career. We haven’t met since. Although we exchanged a few friendly messages, there was never anything romantic,” Noa assured fans.
In response, fans defended the three idols and criticized Japan’s strict idol dating bans, calling them outdated and unfair.
Sources: Znews
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