After actor Lee Yi-kyung suffered from private life rumors, he left a variety show he was appearing on, had appearances canceled, and was unable to participate in filming. Meanwhile, the person who exposed the private life rumors, a person surnamed A, reversed their statements and reappeared, making the situation oddly convoluted.
Lee Yi-kyung's private life rumor was an incident that lasted about three days, from the 20th to the 23rd of last month. A, who identified herself as a German woman, exposed the matter saying, "I had sexual conversations with Lee Yi-kyung," and in the process even used language that implied sexual assault, which amplified the fallout.
Questions about credibility arose because of A's awkward sentences and confusing content, and the agency immediately called it "false information" and said it would take legal action, which seemed to bring the matter to a close for the time being. However, A revealed her main SNS account and additionally posted a direct message video purportedly sent to Lee Yi-kyung, saying, "I never demanded money. My purpose was not money but to expose actor Lee Yi-kyung's character."
The incident seemed likely to drag on, but the private life rumor was wrapped up when A confessed after three days, saying, "As I made AI photos, they gradually felt more real, and I ended up spreading them like a malicious rumor, and I'm truly sorry. What started as fandom turned into emotional involvement. It was a post written for fun but felt real and made me feel guilty. If there are parts I should take responsibility for, I will."
But Lee Yi-kyung took a hit. He left MBC's Hangout With Yoo where he was appearing, his planned joining as the first single MC on KBS2's The Return of SUPERMAN was canceled, and he was also absent from filming E Channel's Brave Detective. While his departure from Hangout With Yoo and absence from Brave Detective were attributed to scheduling for other productions, it cannot be denied that the private life rumors influenced the cancellation of his appearance on The Return of SUPERMAN.
The timing is uncanny. As Lee Yi-kyung's departures and canceled appearances continued, A resurfaced. Right after news of Lee Yi-kyung's departure from Hangout With Yoo was reported, A left a cryptic post on her social media account saying, "I'm wondering whether to post the proof again. It would feel odd if it ends like this. It's not AI, so I feel a bit wronged. Making him out to be the bad guy and the victim,"
On the 3rd, Lee Yi-kyung's agency said, "Through our legal representative, we have completed submitting victim materials and filing a complaint at the Seoul Gangnam Police Station against the authors and distributors of the related posts on charges of spreading false information and defamation. We make clear that the company has not attempted any settlement or compensation discussions regarding this matter and will not proceed in any form in the future," reiterating a tough response.
When asked, "Weren't you sued?" A replied, "I wasn't." After seeing the agency's notice of a lawsuit, she reversed her apology and confession, saying, "AI was a lie, but that's the first I'm hearing of being sued."
The issue of Lee Yi-kyung's private life rumors, which seemed to end in three days, entered a new phase with Lee Yi-kyung's departures and A's reversal of her position.
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