이미지 확대
The story began to unfold shortly after the 24-year-old actress, who had been in a relationship with actor Kim Soo-hyun, was found dead in an apparent suicide at her home in eastern Seoul last month, reportedly struggling with financial difficulties.
With the rumor mill grinding even more over what led to her tragic death, along with other trivial details of her private life, the actress' bereaved family sued a YouTuber earlier this month for making false and groundless claims about her. They also revealed that the actor, 12 years her senior, had been in a long-term relationship with her, claiming that it began when she was a still minor.
As the dating controversy led to a flurry of advertisers terminating their endorsement deals, the actor, who initially denied any romantic involvement with her, admitted to the relationship but insisted they had only been seeing each other for some time after she had come of age.
The family then disclosed intimate photos of the two on a YouTube channel, urging him to come forward with the truth and apologize. That soon led to mudslinging with the actor's agency filing a complaint against the channel last week. It warned that revealing such provocative photos and private messages exchanged between the two Kims would only make things worse, adding that Kim has already been enduring "immeasurable harm."
Under mounting scrutiny, the actor at the same time expressed his willingness to meet with the actress' family as an amicable gesture to clear up any misunderstandings and resolve the issue. But they remain adamant, saying, "We are very disappointed by his continued denials. All we want is a sincere apology from him."
Once seen as one of the most promising starlets after her appearance in the 2010 hit action thriller "The Man from Nowhere," she crashed while driving under influence, which coincided just ahead of the release of Netflix's hit drama series "Bloodhounds" in 2022, eventually dealing a huge blow to her acting career.
The producer of the series filed a compensation claim for damages caused by her DUI scandal, but the actress was unable to pay due to financial hardship from being repeatedly denied roles amid persistent public criticism.
After her contract with talent agency Gold Medalist expired last year, it demanded that the actress repay about 700 million won (about US$525,000) including legal fees and other expenses it had covered on her behalf.
The two Kims seemed to have parted ways at some point for some reasons, but she suddenly turned to her ex-boyfriend, a co-founder of the agency, to beg for a delay in the repayment.
However, unable to get a hold of him, she posted a photo of the two together on Instagram, hoping to grab his attention, only to delete it almost immediately.
That could have been her last, desperate attempt to seek help before her suicide, as those who take their own lives often send clear warning signals, though many fail to recognize them. It has only recently come to light that she had previously made multiple attempts to end her life.
The actor vehemently denies any involvement in his ex's debt troubles, stressing that it was entirely a matter between her and her agency.
But the fallout has already begun, with his upcoming Netflix series and other projects either canceled or put on hold. Additionally, he has lost endorsement deals with several domestic and international brands, which could lead to lawsuits for damages or penalties due to breach of contract.
As accusations and denials continue to fly from both sides, coupled with leaks of controversial and petty tidbits, their battle shows no signs of ending.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
View more comments