As the famous Japanese idol-turned-actor Itagaki Mizuki has passed away, it has come to light that the deceased was from a group that was embroiled in plagiarism allegations regarding the song 'Whiplash' by the group 'aespa'.
The family of Itagaki announced on April 17 that "Itagaki Mizuki died in an unexpected accident. He had been missing since the end of January this year due to a mental illness he had been suffering from since last year," and added, "We received a call from the police that his body was found recently in Tokyo while the search was ongoing with the help of the police and friends."
The family further expressed, "Itagaki always worked diligently in his entertainment activities to bring laughter and joy to people. It is unfortunate that he ended his life while taking positive steps towards returning to activities, and he must have felt wronged and regretful as well."
Additionally, they stated, "We sincerely thank the fans who warmly supported Itagaki and all the people who helped with his activities. We hope you will cherish the works of the deceased as warm memories."
While the family did not specify the exact time of death, local media reports suggest it is estimated to be early February.
Following the news of his passing, the group 'M!LK', to which the deceased belonged, was once again brought into the spotlight regarding allegations of plagiarizing aespa's hit song 'Whiplash'.
Earlier, suspicions arose that 'イイじゃん' (EJan), released by M!LK in March this year, was similar to parts of the melody of 'Whiplash'. At that time, M!LK did not provide any special statement.
Born in 2000, Itagaki debuted in 2014 as a member of the Japanese boy group 'M!LK', and left the team in 2020 to pursue acting. He appeared in dramas such as 'Island Village Teacher' (2013), 'Village Doctor Jumbo!!' (2013), 'In-House Marriage Honey' (2020), 'Kiss of the Fool' (2022), and films like 'Solomon's Perjury' (2015) and 'The Secret I Want to Tell' (2023).
