Overview
- Mei Hanada released a video saying staff questioned her for hours, pressured her to shave her head and that the ordeal left her with severe mental-health harm and suicidal thoughts.
- DH/AKS issued a public denial of any instruction to shave her head and said the contract termination followed investigations into rule violations and a breakdown in direct communication.
- Hanada admitted she met a specific fan, held hands in public and posted location hints on the Weverse app, actions the agency says violate AKB48 rules against private ties with individual fans.
- The agency says Hanada was repeatedly late, went on hiatus for health reasons, then refused to speak directly and insisted on using a lawyer, which contributed to the decision to terminate her contract.
- The case is the first outright contract termination in AKB48’s history and revives scrutiny of idol-industry discipline and past incidents such as Minami Minegishi’s 2013 head-shaving episode, raising calls for closer review of management practices.