Gong Hyo-jin defends When the Stars Gossip from backlash and controversial finale: ‘It wasn't easy to understand'

Gulf News

22-04-2025

Actress Gong Hyo-jin recently shared her reflections on When the Stars Gossip, a high-budget K-drama with an estimated production cost of 50 billion KRW (approximately $36 million USD).
In a video posted on April 20 to her YouTube channel For Now, Gong Hyo-jin, titled 'It's a bit late, but it's something I've been wanting to talk about,' the actress sat down with her team in a casual setting—chopping onions and chatting—while revisiting her experience filming the ambitious series, which aired on tvN and concluded in February.
Despite its star-studded cast and unique setting, the drama only managed to garner modest ratings, peaking in the low 2% range.
In the show, Hyo-jin, played Eve Kim, an astronaut who encounters OB-GYN doctor Gong Ryong (played by Lee Min-ho) aboard a zero-gravity space station. Reflecting on the experience, she spoke candidly about the challenges and complexity of the project.
'The entire process of making this drama was completely new to me. It was pre-produced, with some parts going through two years of post-production. The story itself was quite complex—I can imagine it wasn't easy for viewers to fully understand.'
Hyo-jin also shed light on the deeper themes behind the storyline, particularly the central question posed by the writers:
'From the beginning, the writer wanted to explore the idea of creating life. The main question was: 'Can people continue their lineage in zero gravity?' I played a character involved in that kind of research.'
When the production team raised concerns about whether the concept of space might be too early for Korean dramas, Hyo-jin responded, 'Whenever something new is introduced, it's met with divided opinions. Whether it succeeds in the future depends on the hard work of the people who take the first steps, even if no one acknowledges them at the time.'
The show's controversial finale also became a topic of conversation, particularly the emotional moment when Eve Kim dies just a day after giving birth. Gong admitted it was a difficult arc, especially for some audiences:
'Whenever the main character dies in the finale, people have mixed feelings. Even my mom struggled with it. I think it was a bit too heavy for older viewers to fully digest.'
She also shared some behind-the-scenes details about the intense and physically draining filming process:
'Except for one episode, the entire series was set in space. Filming the zero-gravity scenes took forever—sometimes over two months just for one episode. I was suspended on wires for 15 hours a day. I remember yelling, 'Please just let me down!' because the blood flow in my body was so poor.'
Despite the emotional and physical toll, Gong wrapped up her reflections on a grateful note:
'It's amazing that we filmed for a whole year. By the second month of shooting, I was already worried—'Will this even make it to air?' In the end, we were just thankful that the show actually got released.'