The divorce of actor Watanabe Ken (45) and his wife Yumiko (43) has finally cleared the courts. Watanabe filed for the divorce in 2001, partly due to the fact that Yumiko had run up huge debts while he battled leukemia and struggled to keep his acting career afloat, but she contested the case all the way to the Tokyo High Court. She also brought up his alleged womanizing, but after almost three and a half years of legal wranglings, she was awarded nothing. Watanabe is currently in the US working on the upcoming movies “Batman Begins” and “Sayuri.”
• Actor Kuroda Arthur (44) spoke at a movie PR event yesterday about his recently announced breakup with actress Adachi Yumi (23). “It’s as she said (in her press conference). We keep in touch and we’re good friends. If she’s happy, I’m happy. I have no regrets.” Asked about the reason for the split, he said it was “a difference in opinion about the right timing for marriage.”
• Actress Shiozawa Toki (77) recently underwent cancer surgery for the third time. She had cancer of the tongue when she was 30 and has now had two mastectomies.
• Singer Go Hiromi is busy reigniting his career. He joined 100 invited fans at the Tokyo Summerland theme park yesterday for a day of rollercoasters and PR for his first new single since late 2001. “Ai Yori Hayaku” went on sale yesterday.