Original Japanese article here.

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Hinting at a Breakdown? Ayu: “My Heart was Bursting with Feelings of Apology”
17 January 2012.

Singer Hamasaki Ayumi (33) has announced her decision to divorce Austrian actor husband Manuel Schwarz (31) on the 16th, after their marriage in January last year. She will be filing for divorce in the US on the 17th (16th in US Time).

Since New Year’s Day last year, Hamasaki’s private life has been a hot topic. In August, she expressed antagonism towards staff members, regarding her appearance on a Live Event. The trouble continued when she did a last-minute cancellation of her appearance on TV Asahi’s “Music Station” 25th Anniversary Show in September.

On New Year’s Eve, Hamasaki made her 13th appearance on the Kouhaku Utagassen Show, as top batter for the 4th consecutive year. After that, she held a Countdown Live concert at the National Yoyogi Gymnasium. On 3 Jan (4th in Japan Time), she visited Hawaii for work purposes. During that time, she received congratulatory messages from fans, commemorating her marriage’s 1st Anniversary. To this, Hamasaki commented that “In addition to lots of gratitude, my heart was bursting with feelings of apology,” hinting that her mind has been in turmoil since New Year’s Day.