Ryoko Hirosue Announces Comeback Amid Constant Offers—Behind the Scenes of Her Wild Big Mug Chug Persona

Prospects for financial settlement reached

Actress Ryoko Hirosue (45) has officially announced that she will resume her entertainment activities.

It has been about a year since the shocking incident in April ’25, when she caused a rear-end collision at a speed of 185 km/h on the Shin-Tomei Expressway and was arrested on suspicion of assault following trouble at the hospital she was transported to. She had publicly disclosed that she was suffering from bipolar affective disorder and hyperthyroidism and had been focusing on treatment, but she is now returning to the public stage.

Regarding her comeback, public opinion is divided between harsh criticism such as it’s too soon and supportive voices saying we’ve been waiting. Even amid lingering backlash, a major factor enabling her return is that discussions regarding compensation issues, including scrapped films due to the accident, have been settled with advertising agencies and others.

“A financial settlement being in sight is significant. In the 2023 scandal involving chef Shusaku Toba (47), enormous penalty fees from CM contracts were incurred, but the agency has announced that those have been resolved. If the compensation from this accident is also cleared, there will likely be many industry professionals who want to work with her due to her unparalleled appeal. In fact, multiple offers have already reportedly reached her side,” said an entertainment agency source.

Seen shopping at a supermarket

Hirosue has been involved in numerous scandals in the past, yet each time she has managed to climb back from the brink.

Regarding her true character, a female weekly magazine reporter who has long covered her said:

“I once directly interviewed her during the alleged affair scandal, and she had zero sense of caution—she would come right into the reporter’s personal space. I even started thinking, ‘Wait, do I know her?’ and my questioning softened. She has an indescribable charm. But in a sense, she is also a very difficult subject to deal with.”

On the other hand, her presence as a star is unmatched. An entertainment industry source who spotted her in town said:

“Even with a hat pulled down low, it was useless. Her long legs, her style, her way of walking even when she was just shopping at a supermarket, everyone around her was doing double and triple takes. Her presence on the street might be the strongest in the entire entertainment industry.”

At the same time, she is said to show surprisingly unguarded behavior in private. In the past, she was seen at a ramen shop in Shibuya downing a large mug in one go, her face flushed red as she chatted happily.

While she emits overwhelming brilliance, it is precisely this dangerous gap where she suddenly becomes unguarded that may be her essence. That may also be why offers never stop coming, even after scandals.

On YouTube, FRIDAY Digital’s “Entertainment Reporter Channel” features current reporters revealing the true face of Hirosue Ryoko witnessed by magazine staff, candidly discussing her past scandals. It also provides analysis of the behind-the-scenes industry circumstances behind her comeback and speculation about her future with chef Toba.