Recently, profile images and names of Red Velvet were found listed under the “Celebrity Wedding Singers” category on an event company’s website, despite having no affiliation with the business. The group was falsely presented as available for wedding performance bookings.
SM Entertainment, Red Velvet’s agency, responded firmly:
“We have no connection to this company and never gave any prior agreement or approval. Upon confirming the unauthorized use of our artists’ images, we immediately requested deletion. Should similar cases occur again, we will take strong action.”
Singer Huh Gak was also misrepresented. His image appeared in promotional materials with the caption, “Guaranteed by Huh Gak”, giving the false impression that he was an official ambassador for the brand. OS Project, his agency, denied any association:
“We have no connection to this company. While the CEO may have been friends with Huh Gak in the past, they have not kept regular contact. We only heard from him recently when this coverage emerged. Huh Gak has no current affiliation with the company.”
The event company’s CEO admitted the photos had been uploaded without proper authorization during a website renewal, claiming, “Some celebrity profiles were mistakenly uploaded, but all photos have since been removed.” He also argued that some profiles were posted at the request of individuals and insisted the company had delivered many legitimate events.
However, agencies representing other celebrities still featured on the site also stated they had “no connection” to the company, contradicting the CEO’s explanation.
Industry experts warn that using celebrity likenesses without consent not only infringes publicity rights but also deceives consumers by falsely implying endorsements. Calls are growing for stricter legal safeguards to prevent such exploitation in the future.
Sources: daum
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