*This content was translated by AI.
Half a year has passed since Japanese national swimmer Seto Daiya (32) and former national diver Mabuchi Yuka (31) announced their divorce. The couple, who married in 2017, had two daughters and were known as the "lovebirds" of sports, but after Seto's affair was discovered in 2020, they eventually parted ways following discord. Currently, news about Seto is drawing attention from Japanese people.
Japan's "Daily Shunchu" reported on the 22nd that "about half a year after their divorce, it has once again come to light how much Seto has lost in terms of income and reputation due to his past affair."
According to reports, Seto suffered massive economic damage immediately following the 2020 scandal. His main sponsor, ANA (All Nippon Airways), with which he had a multi-year contract worth 100 million yen (approximately 870 million won) annually, terminated the deal immediately. Additionally, all advertising and ambassador contracts with Ajinomoto, P&G (Gillette), BOSE, and others were completely withdrawn. With contracts that once reached tens of millions of yen per advertisement falling through, his annual lost income exceeded 100 million yen.
Subsequently, Seto voluntarily resigned from the JOC (Japanese Olympic Committee)'s "Symbol Athlete" program, which provided him with an annual cooperation fee of 20 million yen, and also stepped down as captain of the national team. As a result, his funding sources for maintaining three luxury cars, including Ferraris, and a high-end one-person apartment were cut off overnight. Losing his affiliated team, he was even restricted from participating in domestic competitions such as the Short Course Championships for some time.
His standing within the swimming community has also narrowed. Among national team teammates who were close with his wife Mabuchi, Seto was criticized as "a husband who hurt a friend," disrupting team morale. The media reported that "all photos of the couple prepared by news outlets to highlight the touching story of 'the wife's dedication turning bronze into gold' for Seto, the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medalist, have turned to nothing."
Seto had previously confided to acquaintances that his family was on the verge of collapse and attempted to repair the relationship, but after rumors of separation surfaced in 2024, he finally signed divorce papers five and a half years after the affair was discovered. Regarding this, public figure Lisa Okano Atsuko analyzed, "It is common for spouses to end up divorcing after a long period when the husband's infidelity becomes a lasting trauma."
Currently, Seto aims to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics but recently skipped the Japanese Championships citing changes in his training plan. In contrast, Mabuchi is pursuing her own path as a diving coach and sports caster. When recent updates on Seto were revealed through the social media of a racing driver, comments continuing to criticize his affair poured in, indicating that his shattered image has not yet been restored.
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*This content was translated by AI.
