Miss Japan Relinquishes Crown Due To Affair With A Married 'Muscle Doctor'
This photo taken on January 22, 2024 shows Karolina Shiino, a model who became a naturalized Japanese citizen from Ukraine, posing with the trophy of the Miss Japan crown in Tokyo. The Miss Japan crown will remain unclaimed this year after its Ukraine-born winner relinquished the title over reports of an affair she had with a married doctor. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP) / Japan OUT
The Ukraine-born Miss Japan pageant winner, Karolina Shiino, has voluntarily given up her crown following revelations of an affair she had with a married doctor.
On Monday, the Miss Japan Association confirmed their acceptance of Shiino's request to return the crown for "personal reasons." Consequently, there will be no Miss Japan for 2024.
Karolina Shiino, who moved to Japan at the age of five, expressed a desire to "deeply apologize" for her affair to those affected, including the man's wife, on the day her management agency confirmed the affair. She also resigned from her modeling agency.
In an Instagram statement, the 26-year-old initially apologized and expressed her struggle to speak the truth amid chaos and fear.
In a statement on Monday, Shiino's agency revealed that she initially believed the man, identified as Takuma Maeda, known as the "muscle doctor," to be divorced. However, upon discovering he was still married, she continued the relationship.
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The man involved, Takuma Maeda, is a social media influencer who, according to the Associated Press, said on Instagram that he had no plans to leave his wife and offered an apology for the trouble he'd brought Shiino and others. He promised to devote himself to his work and his private life.
The scandal deepened when Shukan Bunshun magazine exposed her extramarital relationship, violating Japan's stringent moral standards for beauty pageant contestants.
Japanese entertainment figures engaging in affairs, drug use, or other scandals often face rejection from both fans and employers. The cultural expectation for public figures to maintain a squeaky-clean image contributes to swift repercussions when such individuals are involved in controversies.
In Japan's deeply conservative and male-dominated culture, women reportedly frequently face heightened criticism in cases of extramarital affairs.
