Jesse’s Relationship Scandal Impacts SixTONES Popularity and CD Sales, Falling Behind SnowMan

The July 25 issue of “Josei Seven” reported that SixTONES member Jesse and actress Haruka Ayase are in a serious relationship. In response to the magazine’s interview, Jesse said through his personal company ZDN, “Please leave your private life to me. We are getting along well with each other. I am on good terms with you. The poor “initial response” has led to a number of disappointed voices.

Jesse was one of the main cast members in “Revolver Lily,” a movie starring Ayase that was released in August 2011. The two began to keep in touch after the film’s clamp-up and remained friends, meeting for dinner at a restaurant with a completely private room. Eventually, the distance between the two grew and Jessie started going to Ayase’s home.

When “Josei Seven” inquired about their relationship, Ayase’s agency responded, “We leave her private life to her own hands. Jesse, on the other hand, said through his newly established private agency, “Please leave my private life to me. We are getting along well with each other. Zdong,” he commented in a unique way.

Since both parties did not explicitly deny their relationship, SixTONES fans were shocked to hear that they might be getting married soon. Above all, it was Jesse’s answer that most angered fans. On social networking sites, people disillusioned with Jesse lamented, “Never say ‘zdong’ at a concert again,” “Using ‘zdong’ in a comment to a weekly magazine is a lambasting to the fans,” and so on. It’s a lousy thing to use ‘zdong’ in a comment to a weekly magazine,” they lamented.

The heartbroken fans were further aggravated by a report in the Sports Nippon dated April 25. SixTONES held a concert at Tokyo Dome from April 20 to 22 this year. According to SpoNichi, Ayase was in attendance at the dome, and an insider testified, “She seemed to have come at Jesse’s invitation, and I thought they were very close.

While the truth is unknown, fans who support SixTONES and STARTO ENTERTAINMENT idols in response to the article,

If this is true, I’ve missed Jesse. He’s an idol, but to mix his public life with his private one is just awful.

〈Jesse, they invited him to the Dome. …… I feel betrayed. No matter how hard I try, it won’t bring back the feelings I once had.

Jesse was singing for her at the dome.

I was so stunned.

SixTONES, to which Jesse belongs, made their CD debut in January ’20 at the same time as Snow Man, but their sales and popularity were completely outstripped.

For example, the first week sales of SixTONES’ single “GONG/Kokoro ni kita kitaite” released in July/October was 426,000 copies in the first week, about 100,000 copies less than the 523,000 copies of “Tone” released in May in the first week. However, Snow Man’s latest single “BREAKOUT / You are mine” (released on July 31) had recorded 834,000 copies on the first day alone (all figures according to Oricon).

Currently, Snow Man has a regular Friday primetime program called “Sore Sono Snow Man ni Yasasemasete” (TBS), while SixTONES does not have a TV show. Jesse, who is the face of the group, is certainly losing fans as a result of this report, and the gap between him and Snow Man may widen.

When Jesse was interviewed by a weekly magazine, he drew the fans’ attention with his uncharacteristic response to the young idol. It will not be so easy to regain lost love and trust. He must be sincere in responding to the feelings of his fans.