NGT48, which debuted in 2017, is a famous idol group based in Niigata, Japan. In 2019, the group was involved in a scandal that shocked the Japanese entertainment industry. This incident caused NGT48’s reputation to plummet, leading to a loss of support from sponsors and fans, and forced the group to alter its operational methods.
Specifically, in January 2019, member Yamaguchi Maho revealed that she was attacked by two men when she entered her apartment. Fortunately, neighbors discovered and rescued her. The idol accused some NGT48 members of being involved in the incident, claiming they had disclosed her address and schedule to the attackers. The police arrested the two attackers, but they were released after 20 days as they denied the assault and claimed they were only trying to talk to the idol.
Prior to this, Yamaguchi Maho reported the incident to the group’s management, but they took no action and even pressured her to remain silent. Frustrated, Yamaguchi went public with the story and was then forced by the management to apologize to fans for “causing trouble by speaking out.” This led to a massive wave of outrage among fans worldwide, with over 53,000 signatures calling for the resignation of NGT48 director Etsuro Imamura for his negligence.
Netizens discovered that after the attack, Yamaguchi Maho unfollowed four NGT48 members on social media, including Ogino Yuka, who was a prominent and highly ranked member of the group at that time. Despite efforts to clear her name, Ogino Yuka faced significant backlash and was accused of bullying Yamaguchi Maho and being linked to the attack. The investigation revealed that one of the attackers admitted to having connections with eight NGT48 members, who had provided him with Yamaguchi Maho’s apartment address. This further strengthened the netizen’s suspicions.
The incident caused NGT48’s reputation to plummet, leading to public backlash both in Japan and globally. The group’s performance schedule was temporarily canceled, some sponsors withdrew, and notably, the city of Niigata, which supported the group, announced it would sever ties. The management company sued the two attackers, demanding 30 million yen in damages. The company reported total economic losses of 100 million yen and noted the damage to trust between the members and the company.
The lawsuit lasted over a year due to the attackers continually changing their statements and refusing to admit guilt. Ultimately, a settlement was reached where the two attackers agreed to pay 2.4 million yen over five years and were banned from participating in any AKB48-related events, including NGT48. The lawyer concluded the case by stating that NGT48 members were not involved in the attack and that Yamaguchi Maho’s harsh reactions towards them were a misunderstanding. However, this explanation failed to convince the public.
NGT48 tried to salvage the situation by changing their operational structure from subgroup activities to group-wide activities. On social media, some members, including Rena Hasegawa, Riko Sugahara, and Fuka Murakumo, removed “NGT48” from their profiles to show support for Yamaguchi Maho.
On April 21, 2019, Yamaguchi Maho, Rena Hasegawa, and Riko Sugahara announced their departure from NGT48. On stage, Yamaguchi Maho accused AKS’s president of calling her a “company destroyer.” She stated that she could not stay in a group that handled issues by simply apologizing. A farewell performance for the three members was held on May 18, with the attendance of seven other NGT48 members who were aligned with Yamaguchi Maho. Notably, Ogino Yuka, who was accused of leading the bullying and involvement in the attack on Yamaguchi Maho, was not among them.
By 2021, Ogino Yuka also left NGT48 and later shifted her focus to modeling. Recently, she started a YouTube channel called “Miss Ogino’s Bad Reputation” and uploaded two videos attempting to clarify the incident involving Yamaguchi Maho. However, netizens left numerous angry comments calling for a boycott of Ogino Yuka, “Why does her face look different? She looks so fierce,””She ruined NGT48 and now she still wants to come back?” “Shameless, brazen, truly a disgrace to the group,” “There are still thousands of people subscribing to her YouTube channel, unbelievable.”
As for Yamaguchi Maho, she transitioned to acting after leaving the group due to the attack. The former idol, born in 1995, has since landed leading roles in television dramas such as “Panda Judges The World”, “Kekkon Dekinai Ni Wa Wake Ga Aru”, and “Chocolate No Mahou”.