Japanese actress Ryoko Hirosue, who in June admitted to having an extramarital affair, has suddenly announced her divorce.

The 43-year-old, who was married to Japanese candle artist Candle June, 49, made the announcement via the official website of her agency, Flamme, on Sunday (July 23).

“Although it is a private matter, Jun Hirosue and I have discussed and agreed to divorce, and we have submitted the divorce papers,” she wrote in Japanese. “Regarding the custody of the children, I will continue to live with them as before.”

The actress known for her cutie-pie image added: “I have decided to tell you (about the divorce) in the hope that it will bring the case to an end and that the children’s anxieties and worries will not deepen any further.”

Fans noticed that her Instagram account was deactivated after the announcement.

They also noted from her statement that her husband, whose real name is Jun Izutsu, had taken her surname after marriage. In Japan, it is usually the wife who takes the husband’s surname.

Hirosue married Izutsu in October 2010 and they have a son, 12, and a daughter, eight. The actress was married to Japanese model Takahiro Okazawa between 2003 and 2008 and they have a 19-year-old son.

Hirosue and Michelin-starred chef Shusaku Toba, 45, were photographed checking into a hotel by Japanese weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun on June 3. She admitted to and apologised for the affair after a week of denial.

After her apology, her agency suspended her from work indefinitely, and four advertisements she endorsed were taken off the shelves.

Izutsu held a press conference on June 18 to speak up for Hirosue, apologising on her behalf and calling her a “good wife and good mother”. He expressed regret at not stopping his wife’s affair in time. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network