Gravure idol and singer Leah Dizon secretly divorced her husband at the end of last year, tabloid media reported on Monday.
The 24-year-old model of French, American, Chinese and Filipino descent was born and raised in Las Vegas, got her start in the U.S. as a car model, before slowly making her way into the J-pop scene as a gravure model, and then as an idol singer.
In August 2008, one year after her debut, she announced her pregnancy and marriage to her stylist, Bun, 31. The couple were separated in October of last year and then divorced in December, according to media reports.
Dizon is believed to be living with the couple's daughter in New York where she is studying acting. Sources close to Dizon say she is planning to base her career in New York but travel back to Japan for work.
© Japan Today
40 Comments
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Sarge
I'm with Word and elbuda. zzzzzz
Elbuda Mexicano
May I second that yawn WordStar??
WordStar
The yawn this article inspired was so stupendous, I'm actually thinking of posting it on YouTube.
clayton88
see for yourself. See japansugoi.com search leah-dizon-photos-from-japan-biggest-collection-ever
clayton88
Give her credit, she came over, worked hard, studied Japanese, was in a hugely competitive industry and still made a name for herself, not bad at all. Her mistake was getting knocked up. She was a real looker before she got married - see for yourself. I hope she makes a comeback.
tokyotom
who cares
combinibento
Looks like she had her 15 mins of fame and now its time to get back to reality. Good luck to this average American hottie.
herefornow
And, by the way, what kind of a name is "Bun"? No self-respecting man would allow himself to be called that. Maybe his ego is even bigger than hers. Hence the split.
alladin
She did the right thing. I am glad that she got out of that relationship because she deserves better than a stupid Japanese who doesn`t care about anything but himself.
lesgrande
"i find it interesting that leah dizon didnt really get too far in america in terms of her modelling (if you can call her american work 'modelling') but in japan, she was ranked #1 on all kinds of polls like 'best looking' or 'celebrity you want most as a girlfriend'"
In the entertainment business, connections will make or break you, moreso than in a lot of other fields, as promotion often looms much larger than, say, merit, or (cough) talent. How you make those connections is another question altogether.
blue_monday
"got her start in the U.S. as a car model, "
she's a coupe?
Nessie
Because then she'd have to live in LA.
valentineshigh
i find it interesting that leah dizon didnt really get too far in america in terms of her modelling (if you can call her american work 'modelling') but in japan, she was ranked #1 on all kinds of polls like 'best looking' or 'celebrity you want most as a girlfriend'. by japanese standards, her face is almost perfect so i think thats why lots of people here are confused as to why she made it so big. she has very anime-like features, a small face (kogao), a high nose bridge, tare me, long neck etc.
i think the reason why her career in japan flopped so bad is because of terrible management (and lack of talent on her half). her management just seemed to sign her up for everything to the point where she didnt specialise in anything and no one knew what to call her (gravure idol? model? singer? talent?), she was spread too thinly.
sctaber56
I still don't exactly understand what makes a person a "talento" in Japan. Is it an actual occupation/profession or more of a transient condition? Does one train for this vocation, labor for a time as an apprentice, or does one just wake up one day, look in the mirror, and say,"Kyou wa talento desu"? It's so confusing...
bentheredonthat
smartacus
i never said she came to japan to be a model. i said because she doesn't have "model" looks, she came to japan. she really isn't that pretty and limited in her ability to sing. the only place where you can make money with those attributes is in japan where the "tarento" reign supreme.
me thinks her acting career will be on the short side.
Junnama
Hime, Americans know they aren't actually Irish like somebody from Dublin. Heritage or descent is understood, but not said because it's cumbersome. Somebody who is actually born in Ireland and therefore Irish will usually explain that.
In a melting pot society it can be interesting conversation, like Japanese discussing hometowns. Pretty much everyone regards themselves as Americans first and foremost.
Moderator: Back on topic please.
Gurukun
What was that she tearfully cried to her fans?
Watashi wa, poi shinaide kudasai? was it?
Seems like her husband poi'd her to the curb. She should have directed that quote toward her hubby instead of her fans.
himehentai
ooooooooooh .... wow.
On a side note these people claiming heritage of EVERY country in the world where someone in their distant family might have come from a long time ago gets old after a while. I mean ... half ... yea of course. But when you get to the point where "my great grandmothers sisters husbands brothers dog was Scottish, so Im of Scottish descent too" It starts to grind my gears...
The Americans are the WORST for this. . . Your not Irish because your great great great great great grandad was. Your AMERICAN. MrSkit has it right with the clever use of the word "descent" in there. Sorry ... just a personal peeve of mine there.
herefornow
Would not know her if I bumped into her, but wish her success with her single-parenting and her career. Tough situation for any 24 year-old to face. I magine her "stylist" ex- won't be much help.
nath
Since Japan is the only place she can get work...
mrskit
i am a NZer of English, Irish , Scottish, Polish descent,,,my parents were halfssssss In Australia, we are called pizzas,,,,mixed my daughter is half Japanese,,,,so really she is okonomiyaki,,,,,:D he he Leah is pretty and courageous to raise her child on her own,,,,good choice
smartacus
bentheredonthat
There are lots of American models who come to Japan on short-term and long-term contracts. Please do not make silly statements about topics that you know nothing about. Dizon did not come to Japan as a fashion model.
nath
Assume much?
papigiulio
father half and mother also half, makes a quart children. Her children will be 1/5th and up hehe
DXXJP
How does that work?
maeve27
So what.
badmigraine
To her credit, she couldn't be bothered to stay here in Japan.
gogogo
meh
nath
What else is new...
bentheredonthat
the only reason why any american "model" would come to japan is because they really aren't that pretty or have no talent. and leah dizon fits both of those categories.
asianTourist
She has improved her acting career at NY school for her international debut later. She is a courage and independent mother.
MrDog
Wow. Nobody thought that would happen!
shogun36
Wow, sounds like everyone comes out a winner in that family.
BUN can go back to styling pretty men's hair, Leah can go back to being an unknown celebrity, and the child will probably grow up without any proper parental supervision.
Unless Dizon starts making AV films, I seriously hope she will be gone from the limelight for good.
JeffLee
Such a hassle. Why doesn't she at least live closer, like LA, which is the center of the US entertainment industry, anyway?
Richard_III
These are extremely insightful and stimulating shows. Without these my grasp of current affairs would be close to zero, I can assure you.
combinibento
Wow, a 24 year old talent divorces in less than 3 years of marriage. How totally unexpected. Meanwhile, please explain how one "secretly" divorces. Last I checked, divorce filings are of public record. Just because she didn't hold a press conference or cry alligator tears in front of the cameras for Mina Monta and his fellow morning-variety-show hacks to enlighten is all with their genius insight does not make it a "secret".
seesaw2
With a child, acting study...and of course, looking for a new Dadd for the child, that's a lot of things for a 24-year old to do..:)
whiskeysour
YAWN !!!!!! I'm sleepy !!!!!! never heard of Dizon girl until I came to japan and will probably never will when I return to america.
She has wishful thinking !!!!! That's a great motivation tool to have
GOOD LUCK WITH NYC
Maybe she should wash dishes or be a waitress like the zillions of other actors and actresses in NYC working at restaurants.
She should watch the movie, 10 billion times " FAME " not Glee, glee is horrible garbage. And open several restaurant chains in japan, write children's books and give up the career in acting. Anybody who marries a man named after bread " BUN " is not going to make it in the REAL WORLD OF CHAOS.
She's not pretty to me. Just a lot of air between the brains.
asianTourist
At 24, she can move on with your confidence and success.
papigiulio
who was the other celebrity who dated a stylist? damn, Im in the wrong profession me thinks.