Staying Single: Higashide’s Commitment to Fatherhood Over Romance

Japanese top actor Masahiro Higashide, who caused a massive controversy with his affair scandal, has revealed his stance on remarriage.

According to Japanese local media on May 20, Higashide mentioned the possibility of remarriage on a travel TV program.

When a staff member asked him, “Are there any signs of remarriage?”Higashide answered, “No,” adding, “I am not sure if I can make people happy.”

He continued, “I want to be a father who my daughters and son can come to whenever they grow up,” and added, “So, I have no plans to start a new family at all.”

Higashide married actress Watanabe Anne in 2015, and they have one son and two daughters. They were considered one of the top happily married couples in the Japanese entertainment industry.

However, it was revealed that he had an affair for three years starting in 2017 with actress Karata Erika, whom he co-starred with in the movie Asako when she was a minor.

As a result, he divorced his wife. He was nearly ousted from the entertainment industry when it was revealed that he had proposed unreasonable child support and had been indifferent to his family.

In January, Higashide caused another shock when he revealed on a TV show that he had been living in the mountains since 2022, cohabiting with three actresses. At the time, he said, “We like each other as humans and just get along normally, so it’s fine. I don’t care what anyone says,” which also drew criticism.

According to the information released, he said, “It doesn’t seem like the way people see me has changed, but it seems easier to get offers (in the entertainment industry),” adding, “I have both prickly and normal sides.”