Exclusive: Scandal-Plagued Actor Masahiro Higashide Vows Never To Remarry For His Children

Japanese actor Masahiro Higashide, who has been embroiled in controversy over an extramarital affair, has drawn attention by discussing his three children, with whom he lives separately.

On May 19th, ABEMA aired a program titled Left Hiroyuki and Higashide at the End of the World (世界の果てに、東出・ひろゆき置いてきた). The show featured actor Masahiro Higashide and Hiroyuki Nishimura, the founder of the Japanese anonymous bulletin board site 2channel.

Under the theme “What would happen if we entered into a harsh world with $850 where logic does not apply?” the two embarked on a journey crossing South America from Plata Island in Ecuador.

On the third day of their journey, Higashide and Nishimura had dinner at a shopping mall food court and then moved to a hotel, where they had drinks and candid conversations. During this, one of their companions asked Higashide, “Do you have any thoughts of remarrying?” To which Higashide firmly responded, “No.” He added, “It may sound harsh, but I don’t think I can make anyone happy.”

He then opened up further by saying, “To be honest, I believe children can’t choose their parents,” revealing his negative thoughts about remarrying.

Higashide has three children – twin daughters and a son – with actress Ann Watanabe, whom he divorced in 2020. He said, “My wrongdoing was the direct cause of my divorce,” and expressed his desire to be a father who can always welcome his children. “If our daughters and son grow up and want to come to where their father is, I want to be there for them. That’s why I have no plans to start a new family,” he explained.

Higashide married actress Ann Watanabe, the daughter of renowned Japanese actor Ken Watanabe, in 2015. Ann had desired to marry a man who wouldn’t cheat on her, given her father’s frequent infidelities. However, a major controversy erupted in 2020 when Higashide was found to have had an affair with actress Erika Karata, with whom he co-starred in the movie Asako. Notably, Higashide had been unfaithful during Ann’s pregnancy with Erika, who was underage. Following this, Higashide divorced Ann and was expelled from his agency in 2022.

After his divorce, Higashide drew attention by revealing his self-sufficient lifestyle in a mountain cabin. At that time, he was criticized again when it was revealed that he lived with three actresses.