I have no idea if this article is reliable, especially the Mannie and ayu-mum quotes.

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Hamasaki Ayumi’s Shotgun Wedding Decision based on “Mother’s Words” and 27-year-gone “Father’s Shadow”

On New Years Day, Hamasaki Ayumi (32) announced her shotgun marriage with Austrian actor Manuel Schwarz (30). After flying to the US to register the marriage and hold the ceremony, the couple is back in Japan after 5 days.

For some time, ayu has been wanting to marry. She has often voiced declarations like “I want to marry this person”. Behind this is the girl’s hidden story.

In April 2001, ayu talked about how her parents divorced 27 years ago, and how her father left the family, on talk show “ROCKIN’ON JAPAN”. Maybe because she was wishing for her father, she voiced that she wished to marry someone “who will be with me forever”.

To that girl, Manuel proposed with the words “I will never leave you”. Her mother also told her “I will support you. I hope you will be together always” and readily gave her consent. From the beloved mother who brought up her daughter single-handedly after her husband left, these words were probably the last push ayu’s marriage needed——

From Yahoo Japan News
Thanks to AyUmIXx@AHS