Hollywood actor Ansel Elgort, familiar to domestic fans for the films Baby Driver and West Side Story, appeared at an official event in Korea wearing traditional Japanese clothing, dousing domestic public sentiment with cold water. Who is Ansel Elgort, at the center of the controversy?
Born in 1994, Ansel Elgort is a star who has drawn attention in Hollywood with his lanky 193cm height and striking features. After debuting in the 2013 film CARRY, he rose as a rising star by winning the hearts of movie fans worldwide with his roles as Augustus in the Divergent series and the male lead in The Fault in Our Stars.
In particular, in 2017 he gave an outstanding performance as the genius driver "Baby" in director Edgar Wright's action film Baby Driver, and with his perfect embodiment of the character he was nominated for the Golden Globe for best actor, enjoying explosive popularity at home and abroad. He later continued active work as the lead Tony in Steven Spielberg's musical film West Side Story and as the lead in the HBO crime drama Tokyo Vice. Besides acting, he showcased his musical talent by releasing singles and performing as a DJ under the name Ansølo. In his next project, the Audrey Hepburn biopic Dinner With Audrey, he takes on the role of the legendary designer Hubert de Givenchy, presenting a new face.
As the controversy grew out of control, his personal life and past allegations involving minors have been reexamined.
Ansel Elgort revealed in May that he and his Japanese partner Miona had a son born in February. At the time he showed affection by posting a photo of Miona wearing an engagement ring and their son Neo and saying "becoming a father is energizing and exhausting but more than that." Although he has often shown a deep familiarity with Japanese culture, posting videos in which he speaks Japanese, insisting on wearing attire inappropriate for the time, place and occasion at an official cultural event of another country for personal preference and background is clearly thoughtless, critics say.
The past allegation of sexual assault involving a minor has also resurfaced. A Twitter user who went by the name Gabby claimed she was sexually assaulted by Ansel Elgort when she was 17 and shocked many by posting a photo taken with him.
When the controversy broke out, Ansel Elgort strongly denied the sexual assault allegations on his Instagram on June 21, 2020, saying "I cannot say I understand Gabby's feelings, but her claims are not true. I never sexually assaulted anyone."
However, he bowed his head, saying, "What happened in New York in 2014 when I was 20 was a consensual relationship with Gabby," and "unfortunately I did not handle the breakup well. I did not respond to her. I was immature, and it may have been painful for someone. I know this late apology makes it hard to be forgiven for my inexcusable actions."
Earlier, Ansel Elgort attended the "CJ Night in celebration of Frieze Seoul" event held on the afternoon of the 2nd in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. The event was attended by many top domestic stars and cultural figures, including Lee Byung-hun, Rhee Minjung, Lee Jung-jae, director Park Chan-wook and G-Dragon, who lit up the occasion.
However, despite being a large cultural event held in Korea, Ansel Elgort appeared wearing a yukata (kimono), a traditional Japanese garment, leaving some at the scene puzzled. In particular, domestic internet users who saw this poured out fierce criticism and anger, saying "Why wear a yukata at a Korean event?", "You have no basic manners or sense," and "There isn't even the slightest respect for the situation and place."
[photo] Ansel Elgort SNS, movie poster
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