A star who debuted through a popular idol group shared a chilling stalking experience that shocked many.
Recently, the web variety show Naoki’s Urban Legend Talk Show 3 featured former member of Japan’s famous girl group Morning Musume and TV personality Mari Yaguchi. There, she revealed that she had constantly suffered from contact by strangers since her idol days, stirring the studio.
She began by saying, “On the very night I switched to a new phone in my twenties, I received a stalking call from the staff member at the store.” Recalling the incident, she said, “That evening, a call came from an unknown number, and it turned out to be the male employee who helped me activate the phone earlier that day.” The employee told her, “I’ve been a fan for a long time. I want to be friends.”
Yaguchi confessed, “At that moment, I felt such intense fear my whole body froze.” She added, “At the time, I had entrusted the employee with backing up and transferring all my data. The thought that he might have secretly looked through my personal photos and phonebook containing the contact information of Morning Musume members gave me chills,” describing her harrowing feelings.
What was even more shocking was the employee’s shameless attitude. Despite Yaguchi’s strong warning, “If you keep this up, I will take legal action,” the employee showed no signs of backing down or intimidation. The cast members who heard the story also expressed their outrage, saying, “That’s truly terrifying,” and “It’s creepy and disgusting.”
Born in 1983, Yaguchi debuted as a second-generation member of Morning Musume and was loved as a versatile entertainer with vocal, dance, and variety talents. However, in 2005, she announced her departure from the group after being photographed with actor Shun Oguri in a weekly photo magazine.