What happened to Ayu in 2002 with the fake story of the handicapped girl?

[pommy48]

Well, I'm just reading the chinese wiki of ayu, and it said something about ayu yelling/talking bad about a handicapped girl (it's fake) but still curious about the whole situation

[maikaru]

she DID say something to someone at I forget which concert.. think countdown 2001-2002.
She say "Oh in the front, you aren't standing! Isn't it rude" or so..
And then some people thought.. "Oh so bad!" and either that story about it being a wheelchair person were true,
Or someone made it up.

[GRACE]

^I read somewhere that it was a misunderstanding, and they where actually friends of hers in the front row or something.

[truehappiness]

To quote masa [whose webpage is linked to at the top of all AHS pages]..

Spoiler:

　1. The Tumult over Her Words
　To Hamasaki Ayumi, the beginning of a year seems to be the season of misfortune. In the past three years, she was given great mental shocks by the incidents or the situation changes which happened in the beginning of the years, but managed to create her albums in autumn or winter by getting over the difficulties somehow or other. The year 2002 wasn't exceptional, either, and it fell on her from the very unexpected direction.
　I write the outline briefly. -- In the middle of the Countdown Live concert 2001- 2002, she noticed some people in the front row was sitting, though the other audience were all standing, and warned them rather jokingly. The audience booed them in response to her words, and they stood up. But a few weeks later, it was rumoured that a physically handicapped person was among them. The people who gather at a BBS named "2 Channel" and like slandering and humiliating celebrities more than anything else (I call them "2 Channellers" after this) heard of it, and started to attack all together on the BBS's of Hamasaki Ayumi fansites late in January, blaming as, "Hamasaki made a discriminating remark against a physically handicapped person. Apologize! Apologize! Apologize!" All the BBS's were thrown into big confusion, and many of them were forced to be closed. -- But the fact was that there were no physically handicapped person among them sitting in the front row from the first, and indeed, they were her acquaintances. She said such words because she thought it wasn't good that her acquaintances in the special seats were sitting, while the common audience were standing. The absurdity of that tumult lied in that many prople told there must have been a victim and made a fuss, though there was no such a person actually. On Feb. 4, about two weeks after the tumult began, avex gave out the comment of President Yoda and made the facts clear. And on Feb. 12, Mr. Itoi Shigesato, who had heard the story from her, picked up the matter in his own homepage giving appropriate support to her, and the situation returned to normal at last. But even after the truth was revealed in this way, none of the "2 Channellers" who had done great harm to the fansites apologized.
　Though the incident was a year and several months ago, I feel bad recalling it now. Because the people I dislike most are those who hurt someone and enjoy it, and the "2 Channellers" are just the kind of fellows. (It's a pity that such nasty fellows seem to inhabit at higher rate in Japan in other countries.) In my opinion, they did four sinful things then. The first one was of course that they hurt her badly. The second is that they hurt the feelings of many administrators and users of the BBS's. The third is that they made themselves fall low. The fourth is that they disturbed the desirable development of democracy. (The explanation of this point would be very long, so I don't do it here.) What I want to tell them is just one thing -- "Look at yourself."
　On the other hand, there was some problem in the move of avex and her at that time. Avex first left the tumult and waited for the natural calming down. Two weeks passed, it didn't calm down at all. So they gave out the comment of the president exceptionally and intended to settle the matter immediately. And they made her not to say a word about it during the time. I hear the reason was that if she had done so, it might have added fuel to the flames or complicated the matter. But what many fans wanted then was nothing but her own words. Besides, as the correct information wasn't transmitted for as many as two weeks, the fans were also confused and splitted, which invited the unreasonable acts of the "2 Channellers" as a result. Reflecting upon the matter now, I say the best way at that time should be that she gave out her own comment soon after the tumult began and removed the misunderstandings. (Actually, as she might learn from this experience, later in September when a magazine named "Josei Seven" printed the article of her close relationship with Iseya Yuusuke, she gave out her comment quickly and stopped the rumour to grow.)
　But, as it was for the first time for both avex and her to experience such an incident, there might be no help for that reaction. By the tumult and being stopped making any remarks on it, she got depressed badly. I was afraid at that time that she might lose self-confidence again and have fear of holding a concert. But she was not so weak a person. Or all sorts of hardships since the debut as a singer made her considerably strong. During the time she was obliged to be silent, she was preparing a powerful three-piece set consisting of a single, a PV and a special issue book, as the expression of her attitude toward the tumult.

Put simply, a bunch of haters pieced together a story and it became "news" only to fade away after being dealt with by Ayu and her staff.

[luna7996]

Thanks for the info truehappiness.

Wow people are so rude and inmature sometimes.They really need to get a life.It like people in Youtube,they go and see videos only to leave bad comments of the artist afterwards.If you dont like an artist then why waist your time leaving bad comments about them or even watch a video that they know they are not going to like?They get me so mad sometimes.lol.But lets keep it together (love and peace people,love and peace)

[GRACE]

Sadly, that's the mindset of the Internet. Some people like to troll, and take it way too far.

[namiie]

Didn't she write "Free & Easy" in response to this incident?

[pommy48]

證實事件後該名學生被警方逮捕。在事件過後，濱崎步在雜誌《Free & Easy》的協作雜誌《濱崎共和國》中發表了「比起自己被謠言攻擊的事，如果歌迷受這個謠言影響做了過激的 行為，那並不恰當」的感想言論。受事件影響，濱崎步更改了原定在該年於日本四大巨蛋體育館的演唱會行程，而 於2003年1月才發售的除夕倒數演唱會DVD中，該段問題部份亦被刪剪。

credits to chinese wikipedia

After the incident confirmed that the student was arrested by the police. After the incident, Ayumi Hamasaki in the magazine "Free & Easy" collaboration magazine "foreshore Kawasaki Republic," published "than they were rumours of attacks, if the rumors affected by the fans to do the excesses of conduct, it is not appropriate" Feelings of speech. Affected by the incident, Ayumi Hamasaki changes in the original four years in Japan Dome stadium concert tour, and in January 2003 before the New Year's Eve Countdown at the concert DVD, which was also part of the problem Shanjian .

credits to chinese wikipedia, translated with google translate
so i think it said, for the release of the CDL, the part with ayu telling the people to stand up is cut off?

[prussian blue]

wow i didnt know about it, but i know there's a video in Y that wrote "ayu says sth wrong" i clicked it, but dont understand what was she saying

[alternarist]

when there are pple who adores ayu, there bound to be pple who hates ayu and spread rumours about it.

I guess it's just inevitable. People sometimes say the wrong things at the wrong time with misunderstood intentions. it always happen. But for ayu, the consequences were bigger.

[wenren93]

^ yeah. ayu is a public spotlight person, so more or less her consequences of doing something wrong unintentionally will bring her more pressure. anyway, since this news happened at 2002 (man, 6 years ago!) .. let just forget about this LOL.

[AyuHamasaki01]

Thanks for the full explanation truehappiness.

[aqua_crystal]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

she noticed some people in the front row was sitting, though the other audience were all standing, and warned them rather jokingly. The audience booed them in response to her words, and they stood up.

Isn't it a little immature to boo at Ayu like that???

[truehappiness]

They booed at the people who were still seated.

[Justex]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y4CALFwgUY

That's the video with Ayu's supposed slip. It's still pretty well-discussed and one of the most-watched videos of YouTube Japan.

I think this is one of the most interesting stories regarding how powerful 2ch is in Japan. If only a few people decide to humiliate someone they can unleash an incredible avalanche of hatred, even though based on lies only, through 2ch.

Poor Ayumi, but I guess this story is indeed water under the bridge now.

What an immature behaviour.Ayu was totally right to tell them to stand up.

[aqua_crystal]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

They booed at the people who were still seated.

Oh okay... but still booing at them like that was also pretty immature....

[panda87]

Originally Posted by GRACE

Sadly, that's the mindset of the Internet. Some people like to troll, and take it way too far.

*aheeeeem* amen to that.

[rusuke]

Yeah that was very harsh. But we can't let all people like Ayu!!!