Park Na-rae risk takes a direct hit… "I'm excited too" followed by "Palm You Trip" canceled in succession
Comedian Park Na-rae's suspension of activities had a stronger ripple effect than expected. New variety shows that were about to feature her or were in planning stages were halted one after another, effectively entering a process of "series cancellations and collapses."
An MBC official told OSEN on the 16th, "'Palm You Trip' was a program under planning discussion, and we decided not to proceed with it based on internal judgment," marking an official acknowledgment of the previous day's reports that production had been canceled.
'Palm You Trip' was a new variety show in which Jun Hyun-moo, Park Na-rae and Lee Jang-woo, who were beloved as the 'Palm You siblings' on MBC's I Live Alone, were scheduled to appear. They drew attention with mukbangs and chemistry through overseas travel episodes in Taiwan, Vietnam and Türkiye, and on that strength the show had been discussed as a standalone spin-off program.
In particular, 'Palm You Trip' was expected as an MBC-owned IP project that would expand the world of I Live Alone. In reality, with Kian84's 'Running84' having expanded from the same program into 'Extreme84' and currently airing, 'Palm You Trip' had been mentioned as a likely spin-off to follow.
However, risks related to the cast held things back. Recently, as Park Na-rae withdrew from all broadcasts including I Live Alone and announced a suspension of activities amid disputes with former managers, the program planning itself became impossible. Especially with allegations of illegal medical procedures such as 'injection aunt' and 'ringer aunt' unresolved, it appears the judgment was made that proceeding with production would inevitably provoke controversy.
Park Na-rae is currently accused by former managers of verbal abuse, special assault, being on constant standby, personal errands and so-called "gapjil" abuses of power, and has been accused of running an unregistered single-person agency and illegal medical procedures. Park Na-rae's side countersued for extortion, saying former managers made excessive financial demands after leaving, but after the "injection aunt" controversy spread, she said she met with the former managers to resolve misunderstandings and announced a suspension of broadcasting activities.
However, the legal dispute remains ongoing as the former managers continued to reveal more, saying, "It was just a drunken meeting, there was no agreement." Park Na-rae's side has promised additional statements regarding the "injection aunt" matter, but no official explanation has been released yet. Prior to 'Palm You Trip,' another new MBC variety show in which Park Na-rae was scheduled to appear, 'I'm excited too,' also halted production entirely because of her suspension of activities. As a result, two new MBC variety shows centered on Park Na-rae were canceled in succession, amplifying the fallout.
Inside and outside the broadcasting industry, there is a view that "new projects related to Park Na-rae are essentially all stopped until the controversy is resolved." The absence of Park Na-rae, a core character and box-office draw of I Live Alone, is seen as affecting MBC's variety lineup beyond just a single program.
A broadcasting official said, "It has become a risk that shakes the planning itself, beyond a simple personal controversy," and predicted, "This situation is likely to continue until the core allegations, including the 'injection aunt' controversy, are resolved."
[Photo] 'OSEN DB'
[OSEN]