On January 16th, Hamasaki Ayumi announced through her official fan club site, "Team Ayu", that she is divorcing her husband Manuel Schwarz.

Ayu wrote, "I am reporting that I will be filing for divorce on Monday in America," and�explained the reason for divorce. "The reason lies within myself. At the time of our marriage, we decided to live in America, however, because of the Tohoku Earthquake that occurred two months later, a strong feeling sprouted within me that I didn't want to be apart from Japan. I wasn't able to imagine a life in America, and as a result, I left my husband by himself for a long period of time."

The two met back in August of 2010 during a shoot for "Virgin Road", when Manuel starred in the PV as Ayu's husband. Then on January 1st of 2011, the couple tied the knot at a small chapel in Las Vegas.

On January 4th, when Ayu landed in Hawaii for work, reporters called out, "Congratulations on your one year anniversary." With a smile, Ayu replied, "Thank you. I've received many messages from my fans." She also commented, "After my stay in Hawaii for work, I will go to another place in 2 or 3 days." Sources say that Ayu returned to Los Angeles after this trip to discuss the divorce proceedings with her husband.

Source: Daily Sports and Oricon