Idol’s Extreme One-Year Punishment For Dating Her Boyfriend Is Finally Over
Last year, a girl group member garnered attention online due to the action her agency took against her for having a boyfriend. Now, one year later, she is finally free from her daily punishment.
おやすみなさい🐰 pic.twitter.com/kZ081Wd52j
— 東条 百々花 (@10_momo23) April 9, 2025
Tojo Momoka is a former member of KATACOTO*BANK, a Japanese idol group that debuted in 2021. It is represented by the agency SCOT.
In July of 2024, Momoka posted photos on social media of her celebrating her birthday with her boyfriend.
Unfortunately, these photos were not well-received by all, including her agency. “I truly apologize for my careless behavior, which caused discomfort and damage to the fans and agency representatives,” she stated, in response to the backlash after deleting the post. “As an idol, I lacked awareness. I will work hard to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Her agency also posted a statement online announcing their intention to punish her for dating.
After investigation, it was revealed that the man in the photo was her non-celebrity boyfriend. After much discussion, we decided to think of a way to give her caution as her act was unacceptable as an idol.
— SCOT
The agency decided to have Momoka post a “good night” photo of herself every night before bed for a year for fans. They also went one step further by having Momoka keep a certain amount of distance from her boyfriend.
The agency also asked fans to police the idol’s personal life on their behalf.
If there is a photo that you suspect is of her and her boyfriend, please report it to us.
Momoko posted goodnight selfies as requested, even after her departure from KATACOTO*BANK was announced on May 18, 2025.
Her last goodnight selfie was posted on July 27, followed by a handwritten letter on X (formerly Twitter) that has been viewed over 11 million times. In it, she apologized to fans once again and promised to be “mindful” so that “this never happens again.”
ご一読いただけますと幸いです。 pic.twitter.com/eglXUa7tzA
— 東条 百々花 (@10_momo23) July 27, 2025
I would like to offer my sincere apologies for the great inconvenience I’ve caused to my fans and all those involved who support me on a daily basis due to my careless actions. Over the past year, I’ve deeply reflected on my actions and have faced myself honestly. From now on, I’ll be even more mindful of my words and actions so that this never happens again.
Momoka isn’t the only idol who has endured backlash and penalties for dating. Read more here:
