Stephanie, a singer and ballerina formerly of Chunsangjihi The Grace, showed off an unwavering romantic front with Brady Anderson, a former major leaguer 23 years her senior.
On the 9th episode of KBS2 Joy Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller, Stephanie, formerly of Chunsangjihi The Grace, appeared as a guest in the celebrity Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller segment and opened up about her concerns.
That day, when asked about her concerns, she said, "When things accumulate little by little, that one phrase that becomes hurtful becomes a major life worry, so I came here," and revealed that the reaction of "Stephanie is good, so why doesn't she make it?" was her worry. Seo Jang-hoon and Lee Soo-keun were baffled to hear this. Lee Soo-keun said, "That's something I've never heard before. Are they talking about money? Are they saying you earned less than expected?" in puzzlement, and Stephanie said, "That might be included. Chunsangjihi also received attention for a moment but it was short-lived and didn't go well," she said.
She said, "Because of an injury I experienced an unexpected gap, and even when I was hurt I restarted ballet. I went to the U.S., started with rehabilitation and joined a ballet company. A national tour is scheduled for this year as well. I also work as a ballerina in Korea, but people in the ballet and classical world took a very long time to recognize me because I was a singer with a history of activities in Korea. I prepare for stages with grinding teeth and put my life into it. I love music so much and I love the stage. I can't stand being lazy, so I work hard, but when people say, 'Why can't you win?' or 'Why aren't you first?'" she said, frustrated.
Hearing this, Seo Jang-hoon asked, "Where are you supposed to win? In the Olympics?" and Stephanie mentioned competition programs, saying, "Like 'Immortal Songs'..." Then Lee Soo-keun retorted, "They'd call you on Immortal Songs because you succeeded," and Seo Jang-hoon also said, "Someone who wasn't successful couldn't have been active for 21 years. People say things like that now. Good but doesn't make it? How could someone who didn't make it stay active for 21 years. These days many idols can't even last two years and one month. You've been active for 21 years, so what are you expecting to suddenly break out from?"
Lee Soo-keun criticized, "There isn't a single person who doesn't know your name," and Seo Jang-hoon said, "It's not easy to have a 20- or 30-year long run. Anyway, the fact that you've continued your career while doing your role means you've done better than others," adding, "If you think about why these feelings keep coming up, it's because you have a lot of ambition. You thought, 'If I debut, I'll dominate the world,' but group activities ended sooner than expected and you thought you'd do better as a solo, but it didn't go as well as you thought. But 'didn't go well' is by your standards," he pointed out.
He said, "Other places recruited you, released albums and promoted you, didn't they? If you had no talent at all, it would end there. It's hard to return, but you kept going, yet you're not satisfied," and added, "Now, relax your mind, and think that the fact you could do this for so long is your talent and something to be grateful for. If you continue to work hard positively, something unexpected will happen and great fortune will come to you. Then the people who said those things earlier will disappear," offering sincere advice.
In particular, Lee Soo-keun also mentioned Stephanie's dating rumors. Earlier, an OSEN report in 2020 revealed that Stephanie was dating former major leaguer Brady Anderson. OSEN's reporting found that the two met in 2012 when Stephanie was active with the LA Ballet. They remained friends for eight years and reportedly developed into a couple in early 2020.
Lee Soo-keun asked, "There were dating rumors when you went to the U.S., weren't there? Are you still seeing each other?" and Stephanie replied, "Yes," reporting an unchanged romantic front. Lee Soo-keun quipped, "I thought you were married," and Seo Jang-hoon said, "I like baseball and even during the years your boyfriend played I watched the major leagues consistently. So I know who he is and he did quite well. One season he had a crazy burst of form and hit 50 home runs," praising Brady Anderson, and added, "He's not a home run hitter, but he hit 50 home runs and made headlines. His playing career probably didn't last that long and ended a bit early, but fans who like the minor leagues would know him fairly well."
He asked, "How is he doing? What is he doing now?" and Stephanie said, "He's now working as a hitting coach for a team," updating his current status. Seo Jang-hoon said, "Then he probably won't come home much. As a coach he won't come home and will be on the road," and Lee Soo-keun joked, "If your home is empty can I go stay there? I've never been to the U.S.," drawing laughter. Stephanie denied cohabitation, saying, "I might not even be at that house," and, "We don't live together. His family is in the U.S., aren't they?"
Lee Soo-keun said, "What oppa wants to say is that you've always been diligent and worked hard; there's no senior in the entertainment industry who doesn't know that. And when people see you they are all happy. You're like a younger sister and all they remember is how well you did. I don't know what kind of evaluation you want from the public, but to us you're always like a star," he said. Seo Jang-hoon also said, "If you keep working and challenging like this, a day will surely come when what you worked for is fulfilled," and Stephanie said, "I came to Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller thinking, 'Is this the start of something?'" expressing positive energy.
At the final fortune, Stephanie, who drew the "congratulations! first-place winner" flag, was ecstatic, and Lee Soo-keun cheered, "Looks like something big will hit. Whether it's financial or anything else. Some big blessing of this magnitude will come. So don't forget that things are going well, don't get sick and always fighting," offering encouragement. After finishing the counseling, Stephanie said, "If I hadn't come out I'd have been in big trouble; I received such great advice and I will continue to do my work uprightly going forward," and added, "Thanks to this I gained a great realization and I'm leaving with a full smile. I'll continue to work steadily, happily and healthily," she said in farewell.
[Photo] OSEN DB, KBS Joy
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