Jennie, IU Fans Outraged After ‘Damaging' Claims Go Viral: ‘K-Pop Stars Spend Night For Money'

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A resurfaced clip from a podcast has sparked outrage for implying IU and BLACKPINK's Jennie were involved in 'paid sponsorship meetings'.
A viral clip from a previously paywalled episode of the ABOVE the Influence Show podcast has sparked widespread outrage online for its controversial comments about Korean celebrities, including high-profile names like IU and BLACKPINK's Jennie. The remarks, made by hosts Michelle Kira Lee and Wootak Kim, have been called 'baseless" and 'harmful" by fans, especially those within the K-pop fandom.
The now-viral footage, originally from a bonus clip shared three months ago, began circulating widely on social media on May 28. In the clip, Michelle is heard saying, 'All the K-pop stars in Korea are wh*res, all the Korean actresses are wh*res. Apparently, every Korean celebrity/actress there's a price tag on their head. And if you're rich enough, like a Chinese businessman, you can go to these entertainment companies and request to spend a night even with the top K-Pop stars. Even IU, 500 thousand dollars a night."
To this, Wootak Kim adds, 'My friend, whom I went to some summer camp with, is the son of a BMW heir. And he f*d Jennie from BLACKPINK." When Michelle probes further, 'Like, he paid for her?" Wootak responds, 'Yeah. Paid for her. He showed me this video. That's how I know it was real." He later states that he had not actually seen the alleged video and that he was merely quoting someone else.
Admirers of IU and BLACKPINK, especially Jennie, denounced the hosts for making defamatory and unsubstantiated claims. Many urged legal action, describing the clip as deeply disrespectful and damaging to the reputations of the artists mentioned.
Facing mounting backlash, both Michelle and Wootak issued statements on social media clarifying their intent and context.
Michelle Kira Lee wrote, 'I want to take a moment to directly address the viral clip circulating online and the rumours that have followed." She emphasised that the clip was 'edited out of context" and did not reflect her personal views. 'The circulating video is edited out of context and does not reflect my beliefs, intentions, or values," she said.
Wootak also attempted to clarify his comments, writing on Instagram, 'All you kpop stans freaking out right now, get your facts straight. I am not hating or attacking Jennie, simply telling a story I HEARD. It was not bashing but simply repeating it because the topic was how dark the kpop industry can be and why idols have high suicide rates and how crazy these 'slave' contracts can be."
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