She was then allegedly pressured into apologizing in public, sparking outrage in Japan and abroad, with many celebrities including fellow NGT48 members accusing the group's management of victim blaming.
[13][5] After her live stream was cut abruptly, Yamaguchi posted several since-deleted tweets detailing her account and claiming that other NGT48 members were responsible for leaking her personal information to her assailants, including her own address and what time she would be returning home.
[30][31] There, Yamaguchi spoke of how the AKS president accused her of being an "assailant against the company", and, referencing the management's decision, she stated that she could no longer stay "in a group where you will receive a pardon for anything".
[32] Rino Sashihara attempted to discuss Yamaguchi's situation with AKS founder Yasushi Akimoto, but she claimed that he is no longer part of the administration and is only involved as the creative producer.
[33] A farewell theater show was held on May 18: initially announced to feature solely Yamaguchi, Sugahara, and Hasegawa,[34] seven other members made a voluntary guest appearance as a gesture of solidarity,[35] with producer Akimoto also writing a song for the occasion.
[38] Oral proceedings began on July 10, 2019,[39] and on September 20 the two men denied having committed physical aggression, while alleging Yamaguchi willingly disclosed her personal information and address to the first defendant at a handshake event in 2017, so he could send gifts discreetly to her home.
[40] On October 28 the Niigata District Court held a hearing where the AKS attorney said that the defendants submitted evidence of their connection to Yamaguchi while denying that other NGT48 members were involved in their confrontation.
[42] On Twitter, Yamaguchi rejected the news as "slander" and said the photos were the evidences presented in court days before and then leaked to the media; she said these were simply poses requested by fans, a common occurrence at such events.
[46] In order to verify the claims made by the defendants at the trial, in the months of November 2019 and January 2020 AKS sent requests to the police to obtain the statement reports, cellphone inspection data, and other investigation papers related to the assailants.
[54] Yamaguchi's initial public apology sparked criticism over victim blaming and the management's negligence from domestic and international communities,[13][5] including other 48 Group members such as Rino Sashihara, Akari Suda, and Yuki Kashiwagi[55][56][57][58] and celebrities.
[60][31] During a press conference on March 29, 2019, the city of Niigata announced that they were cutting ties with NGT48 effective April,[61] including ending their radio show, "Port de NGT.