Former EXILE Member Can’t Be Counted On… Influencer Reika Miyazaki’s Tax Evasion Scandal Sends Husband Keiji Kuroki Plummeting from Celebrity Status

She hasn’t been able to see her children since January

From heaven to hell?

Keiji Kuroki (46), a former EXILE member and husband of influencer Reika Miyazaki (38)—who was convicted of massive tax evasion—has opened up about his feelings on social media.

His wife, Miyazaki—who serves as the representative of the advertising agency “Solarie”—was charged with violations of the Corporation Tax Act, including evading approximately 157 million yen in taxes. On July 15, she was sentenced by the Tokyo District Court to two years and six months in prison, suspended for four years.She was also fined 40 million yen.

Miyazaki called herself “Japan’s No. 1 influencer” and showcased her celebrity lifestyle on social media, featuring luxury cars and designer bags. Behind the scenes, however, she was engaged in tax evasion. In 2021, after being told by her tax accountant that Solarie’s tax liability for the fiscal year ending in January of that year would amount to approximately 20 million yen, she asked an acquaintance, A,

“Is there any way to reduce the tax liability?”

A introduced her to an acquaintance, B, and Miyazaki committed tax evasion by recording fictitious outsourcing fees to B’s company. She reportedly paid B more than 10 million yen in cash as a reward and also paid fees to coordinate their stories during the National Tax Agency’s investigation.The money obtained illegally through tax evasion is believed to have been used to purchase luxury brand items.

After his wife was found guilty, Kuroki posted on Instagram:

“I apologize for the trouble my wife, Reika Kuroki, has caused the public regarding this tax evasion case,”

He continued,

“Although, as her husband, I had absolutely no knowledge of the tax evasion, I do feel a sense of responsibility,”

.

Given that the couple had been living such a lavish celebrity lifestyle, it’s hard to believe that he “had absolutely no knowledge” of the tax evasion, but there’s no doubt that this incident has completely changed Kuroki’s life.

She married Miyazaki in 2021, and they have two children of their own in addition to the children from her previous marriage. At the first court hearing in March, Miyazaki stated

“I live with my husband and four children,”

, but in reality, she is living separately with her children. On Instagram, Kuroki wrote:

“I haven’t been able to see my children since January, and we are currently in discussions regarding a divorce,”

to update her followers.

Left EXILE in ’22

He also revealed that he currently has 15 million yen in debt

“To pay this off, I’m doing a different job now and working my ass off. I got fired from my company, and now the company I founded is demanding payment—it’s seriously hilarious. They’re actually coming after me like yakuza. It’s truly a life in freefall. There’s still so much more I want to say,”

he wrote.

In June, some media outlets reported that during a TikTok Live stream, he had cast aside the pride he held during his EXILE days to solicit “tips.” This prompted reactions such as

“Wow, he’s really hit rock bottom,”

“I didn’t want to see him like that,”

were among the cries of dismay, but when it comes to survival, you have to do what you have to do.

It also seems unlikely that he can rely on connections from his EXILE days.

When news broke that Miyazaki had been arrested for tax evasion, sources close to EXILE reportedly objected to the phrase “former EXILE” being used as a prefix for Kuroki’s name whenever he was mentioned in the same breath. In an interview with this site, a sports newspaper entertainment reporter stated,

“While it can’t be helped in the body of the article, we’d like you to refrain from using ‘former EXILE’ in the headlines,”

He revealed that he had received this request from a source, adding,

“Mr. Kuroki left EXILE in ’22 and withdrew from the entertainment industry. Officially, he cited physical limitations as a performer, but I’ve heard he was actually forced out to some extent. When I jokingly asked a source, ‘Why don’t you help Mr. Kuroki out?’, I got no response—I was ignored,”

he said.

In this case, Miyazaki attempted to evade over 100 million yen in taxes, but since he has already paid the back taxes, he narrowly avoided a prison sentence. Given that, the possibility of them “getting back together” isn’t zero, but as mentioned earlier, he and Kuroki are currently in the midst of divorce proceedings.

“It’s almost pitiful how everyone around her suddenly distanced themselves from Kuroki. Given that situation, she obviously can’t rely on her former agency, and it’s probably difficult for her to actively promote herself as a former EXILE member in her entertainment career. This is exactly what they mean by ‘from heaven to hell,’” said the same sports newspaper reporter.

Judging by Kuroki’s posts on Instagram, there seems to be much more to this story. We’ll have to keep a close eye on this for a while—