Japanese actor Ryoko Hirosue was arrested for allegedly assaulting a medical staff member at a hospital in Shizuoka Prefecture, her agency announced on Tuesday.
According to the statement issued by her agency, R.H, she was in a “panicked state” after causing a car accident and injured the medical staff member.
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and concern we have caused to the victims and all other concerned parties,” the statement read. “Since the case is currently under investigation, we will refrain from sharing further details. (Hirosue) will be refraining from conducting any performances for the foreseeable future.”
Hirosue was involved in a car accident on a highway in Shizuoka Prefecture on Monday evening in which the car she was driving crashed into a large trailer.
When she was taken to the hospital for a minor injury, she appeared restless and was allegedly pacing around the premises. She then reportedly kicked and scratched the medical staffer who tried to treat her. She was with her manager at the hospital when the incident occurred, according to reports.
The arrest was initially reported as someone who “claims to be” Hirosue while police worked to confirm her identity.
The 44-year-old actor made her debut when she was a junior high school student and continued on to star in many successful shows and movies, as well as having a career as a popular idol and singer in the 1990s.
Some of her internationally notable works include her performance in the 2008 Japanese film "Departures," which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and Luc Besson’s 2001 French-Japanese action comedy “Wasabi.” She gained mass popularity for her hit single “Maji de Koisuru 5 byōmae," loosely translated to “Five seconds away from seriously falling in love,” in 1997.
In 2023, a weekly magazine reported her involvement in an extramarital affair, which led to her divorce and indefinite suspension from her former agency. She left the agency, founded her own in 2024 and resumed her career.
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