'Unmarried Man and Remarriage → Even Childbirth' Japanese Beauty Table Tennis Star Announces Birth of Son... "She Always Liked Flower Boys and Had a Glamorous Private Life," Criticism Rises

*This content was translated by AI.

Japanese table tennis star Ai Fukuhara (38) announced that she has safely given birth after remarrying.

Japan's "Sports Hochi" reported on the 19th that "Fukuhara officially announced the birth of her son."

According to the report, on the 17th, Fukuhara stated via her website, "I sincerely thank you for your great support. I am pleased to announce that I have safely given birth. Thanks to everyone, both mother and child are healthy and living peacefully."

She added, "I plan to strive even harder to contribute to society through table tennis in the future, and I ask for your continued warm support."

Fukuhara, who began holding a racket at age 3 and was hailed as a "table tennis prodigy," was one of Japan's top stars. Selected for the national team for the first time at the age of 12 in the sixth grade of elementary school in the early 2000s, she drew attention by successively breaking records, including becoming the youngest player to reach the quarterfinals at the 2003 World Championships and the youngest participant at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

She went on to compete in four consecutive Olympic Games up to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro tournament. Known for her unique aggressive playing style, cute appearance, and excellent manners, she enjoyed explosive popularity not only in her home country but also in the Chinese Super League before officially retiring from active competition in 2018.

Unlike her glamorous playing career, her life after retirement was marred by constant rumors and controversies. She married Taiwanese Tak Gu (CEO) Zhang Hongjie in 2016 and had a son and a daughter, but the marriage ended in divorce in July 2021 amid allegations of infidelity. The following year, in August 2022, she was sued by the ex-wife of her affair partner for approximately 11 million yen (about 100 million won) in damages, citing emotional distress caused by the divorce.

Disputes over child custody were also contentious. Although she had agreed to joint custody with her ex-husband at the time of divorce, she was placed under scrutiny for taking her eldest son, who was living in Taiwan, to Japan and refusing to return him for about a year. Zhang Hongjie's side strongly criticized this as clear "child abduction," and after a lengthy trial, the eldest son was returned to his father's care.

In December last year, Fukuhara made headlines by officially announcing her remarriage to a younger male acquaintance and her pregnancy. At the time, her agency stated, "We sincerely apologize for causing a disturbance with this matter. We will strive even harder in the future, so we ask that you continue to watch over us with warmth."

Following the series of infidelity and child custody incidents, Fukuhara faced fierce criticism from the Japanese public. This is why fans' reactions to the news of her son's birth have not been entirely positive.

Fans expressed their views in comments, saying, "She has always liked flower boys since her playing days, so her private life must have been quite glamorous; it just wasn't exposed because she had strong backing," and "Her image completely collapsed when she divorced her ex-husband. It will be difficult to regain the popularity that has plummeted."

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*This content was translated by AI.