An idol who went from K-Pop to J-Pop is contradicting her ex-agency’s claims about why she left her group.
Cocoro | Lapone Girls
Cocoro (formerly known as Kokoro) debuted as a member of the K-Pop girl group Cherry Bullet in 2019. She left the group later that year, and Cherry Bullet disbanded five years later, in April of 2024, after four out of the remaining seven members terminated their contracts with FNC Entertainment.
Cherry Bullet
After leaving Cherry Bullet, Kokoro changed her stage name to Cocoro and re-debuted in 2024, in ME:I, a Japanese girl group formed through PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS under Lapone Entertainment. On December 22, 2025, it was announced that Cocoro, Ran, Shizuku, and Kokona would be leaving the group following the expiration of their contracts on December 31, 2025. At the time, fans were confused and furious about the members’ exits and the agency’s lack of an explanation.
Popular Girl Group Shockingly Loses Four Members At Once — Lack Of Explanation Sparks Fury
In a new interview with Shukan Bunshun, a Japanese weekly magazine, Cocoro claims she didn’t leave ME:I because of personal misconduct or health problems. She said the company lied; she was not ill at the time.
| FNC Entertainment
On the contrary, Cocoro told Shukan Bunshun that she had never wanted to pause her group activities. Regardless, a manager informed her that she would be put on a hiatus for poor health. She went on to leave ME:I after her contract ended without being able to say goodbye to her fans through a statement or a graduation performance (a concert J-Pop idols often perform to commemorate their departure from their groups). Cocoro claims she wasn’t even allowed to say goodbye to her own members.
ME:I | Lapone Girls
Cocoro also denied reports about her so-called problematic behavior. For instance, Japanese outlet Josei Jishin reported that Cocoro had been kicked out of ME:I due to personal misconduct, such as going out during her hiatus when she was supposed to be resting due to poor health.
Cocoro also exposed the agency’s alleged lack of respect for ME:I’s privacy, claiming that the agency would search their rooms, fridges, and even trash cans during unannounced weight checks. She also told the magazine that she had very little time off since her debut with ME:I, which led to her becoming exhausted and overwhelmed. When Cocoro left ME:I’s group chat, to ease this burnout, ME:I’s agency sent Cocoro to two Tokyo hospitals for a health check.
Cocoro said the medical professionals at those hospitals cleared her, telling her she was fit to work, yet ME:I’s agency told her that the hospitals had diagnosed her with borderline personality disorder. Shocked by the news, Cocoro did what the agency asked; she agreed to rest and take a hiatus for her health.
During her hiatus, Cocoro returned to her hometown of Nagoya, where she sought out another opinion about her diagnosis. Cocoro, had, according to ME:I’s agency, been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder during her 15-minute and 30-minute consultations with the two Tokyo hospitals. However, the doctor at the Nagoya hospital reportedly told her that borderline personality disorder couldn’t be diagnosed during such a short time frame.
Nagoya, Japan | Unsplash
When Cocoro reached out to one of the Tokyo hospitals about this, she said that hospital denied ever making the diagnosis in the first place, and they claimed that they had never told her agency she was unfit to work. So, how did the diagnosis happen? Cocoro’s lawyer questioned the hospital further and discovered that a manager for ME:I had allegedly told the hospital that Cocoro had behaved erratically, such as waving a knife around while expressing her desire to die, screaming, crying, and running around outside.
Returning to ME:I was Cocoro’s top priority, but she was told that it would be impossible to renew her contract and that she had broken the agency’s rules. Cocoro denies ever breaking these unspecified rules.
I definitely wanted to return and show you a healthy appearance again. I wanted to repay you all for your support by shining and having fun in the midst of your glow sticks as Cocoro of ME:I at least one last time. I’m truly disappointed, but I’m grateful that you continued to show me so much love even while I was waiting.
— Cocoro
Lapone Girls, a subsidiary of Lapone Entertainment, has now responded to the article and denied Cocoro’s claims.
Some media outlets published an article about a former ME:I member. Since certain statements in the article are not factual, we will refrain from making any further comment due to contractual and privacy concerns. We apologize to our fans for any concern this may have caused. We would also like to express our deepest gratitude for your continued support.
We will continue to provide support and create an environment where ME:I members can focus on their artistic activities with peace of mind. We appreciate your continued support of ME:I.
— Lapone Girls