Nogizaka46's new center Nakanishi Aruno's activties suspended after SNS scandal, Nogizaka46 will take countermeasures/legal action for those who falsified posts that they came from Aruno

Nakanishi Aruno (18), the new center of Nogizaka46, was announced on the Nogizaka46 website that she will be suspended from activities due to comments she made when she was younger have resurfaced.

The timing is unprecedented for the group as Nakanishi is the new center for the group’s upcoming 29th single “Actually…” which is set for release on March 23rd and the group will be busy promoting the single without their star center.

Nogizaka46 management announced, “In response to the various speculations and posts about Aruno on social media, we have confirmed with Aruno Nakanishi herself that some of the statements were her own. However, the statements on social media about or that imply acts that violate the sound upbringing of youth were not made by her. Although we do not ask any questions regarding behavior prior to joining the company except for that which is against the law, in this case, we have asked her to suspend activities for a certain period of time for her personal protection and growth. Some of the posts on social media are fabricated using images to make it seem like it is indeed Nakanishi Aruno . Such posts are not true. We firmly protest against such actions and will take countermeasures, including legal action.We sincerely apologize to our fans who have always supported us for the great turmoil this incident has caused”.

Nakanishi Aruno wrote, “I would like to apologize for the confusion and distrust I have caused my fans with my past actions and statements. I am truly sorry. After discussing this with the staff, I have decided to refrain from group activities for a while. I feel that it is necessary now for me to tell you more about myself and my current thoughts and feelings in my own words. I attended an all-girls middle and high school. In my first year of high school, my mental and physical health deteriorated, and I could no longer attend school, so I transferred to an evening-hour high school in the summer of my second year. On social networking sites that I started around that time, I tried to regain and maintain my physical and mental health by venting all my frustrations in daily life. Looking back on it now, I see that many of the posts were terrible, and I now truly regret all of it. I think many people were offended when they learned about my past posts. I am truly sorry. At the time, photo models were initially recruited by photographers through their personal social media accounts. However, I became afraid of personal communication and felt that this method was dangerous, so I became unable to use this recruiting account. So, I started joining photo shoot sessions. I learned to express myself through the lens at the photo sessions, and I believe that this activity led me to where I am today. However, the obscene images and comments on the social networking account I was using at the time for recruiting that appear as if I had posted them myself were definitely not my own, nor was this any kind of leaked information. I have met people at my new high school that I never would have met otherwise, and it has greatly expanded my values and perspective. To appreciate diversity is to tolerate my own flaws and imperfections. I began to accept that these are all part of me and learned to live with myself. I recognize that the many of the criticisms I received are the words of the many people that love Nogizaka46. I am very sorry that I have caused you, Nogizaka46 fans, to feel this way. However, I will do my best to grow into an individual whom you approve of someday. I am truly sorry”.