Lee Ja-eun spoke about the power harassment and hardships she suffered from agencies when she began acting.
On the 9th, a video titled "Gaslighting, sponsor(?), confinement! Piercing all this darkness | Actress Lee Ja-eun" was posted on the channel 'Renew Me, CBS'.
In the depths of despair stood actress Lee Ja-eun. With a brilliant career in independent film, he opened up, saying "I'm someone who wants to make films, not to live a life like a movie. There were many long and painful stories."
She continued, "When I started acting I had a lot of financial hardship. I debuted in small theater musicals and performed every day for three months without receiving a single penny. I didn't even have money to go to the hospital," and recalled, "I looked into many agencies. At one agency the CEO kept talking about himself and the entertainment industry. But his gaze was a little strange. He said, 'Hmm, it seems I don't know you well; you can't do it alone. You need help. I'll attach a sponsor.' I was just bewildered."
She added, "Then he suddenly closed the blinds. He said he had to verify before attaching a sponsor. He said he had to check and told me to undress. He undressed too. Then he lunged at me. He forced himself on me; I was so scared. I ran away. I was so shocked," she recalled, shocking listeners.
She also said she was scammed many times and developed panic disorder and felt she was not in her right mind, "I even thought maybe I had New Recruit. It was so hard that I attended church," adding, "Then finally I had an agency. Through the agency CEO I met someone who, seeing me, pitied me and said he would help. He said he would acquire the company and asked me to rewrite the contract. It listed living expenses, lodging, car, investment costs, signing bonus, and so on. It even said he would arrange casting. There was nothing disadvantageous for me. There was nothing I had to do. He said he would do everything. Is this the life of an entertainer? I thought he was some prince on a white horse. He was gentlemanly and charming. It was strange. People around me were afraid," she said.
She went on, "At that time I had nowhere to go, and he said he would provide a long-term hotel stay. Then he prevented me from going out. A life like confinement began. There were watchers. I had left home saying 'I will succeed in acting' so I couldn't tell my family. I had pride and because he was so frightening I didn't know what would happen to my family, so I couldn't inform them," she revealed.
As the surveillance continued, it grew worse over time. Lee Ja-eun said, "One day I looked in the mirror and saw a woman in the mirror with such a desolate, ruined look. I should be acting, so why am I like this? I couldn't continue acting and wasn't paid a single penny. I thought 'this is not right' and ran out. Recklessly. I was so scared. I couldn't even take a taxi. I felt someone would kidnap me. Even passersby frightened me. At that time I was subject to gaslighting and had severe delusions. I went back and forth between reality and dreams. Fortunately he did not inflict physical harm, but I felt it wouldn't be strange if I died right then and there," she said, evoking sympathy.
[Photo] YouTube video capture
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