Can Seo Ye-ji successfully come back 7 months after boyfriend manipulation-school violence scandal?
Will the public be able to open their hearts for Seo Ye-ji, who will return with tvN’s drama “Eve’s Scandal” after having no explanation for her controversies over boyfriend manipulation, forgery of educational background, and school violence.
This year’s problematic actor Seo Ye-ji will make a comeback soon, as the actress has begun filming a drama after a seven-month break without a proper explanation for various suspicions.
Celebrities build their career based on communication with fans and their popularity to the public. This is why many stars have to reflect on themselves if they cause controversy. However, Seo Ye-ji returns after seven months of quiet rest without any explanation for her controversies.
It is thanks to the support of production companies and her strong fandom, which is as big as public criticism. However, just as the spilled water cannot be used again, Seo Ye-ji‘s image has collapsed and cannot be reversed. Negative issues can attract the attention for the production, but the negative image of Seo Ye-ji can also affect the work. This is why she can be seen as a “poisoned holy grail.”
Following controversy over her ex-boyfriend Kim Jung-hyun in April, Seo Ye-ji was embroiled in various suspicions such as forgery of educational background, school violence, and abusing staff. Seo Ye-ji banned her boyfriend Kim Jung-hyun from all physical contact and friendly conversations with his partner, actress/SNSD member Seo-hyun, as well as other female staff, and even demanded a revision of the romance scene. After it was revealed that Kim Jung-hyun caused damage to the drama “Time” because of Seo Ye-ji, Kim posted an apology and suspended his activities.
Gaslighting between lovers is a matter of privacy, but forgery of educational background and school violence are different matters. In particular, forgery of educational background is a sensitive issue related to morality. Regarding the allegation of Seo Ye-ji’s educational background, her agency only said, “It is true that Seo Ye-ji received an acceptance letter from a university in Spain and prepared for admission,” but did not disclose documents such as a notice of acceptance that could become an evidence.
Seo Ye-ji used to reveal on several broadcasts, “I went to school in Spain,” and recalled her college life. The agency admitted that Seo Ye-ji lied. Seo Ye-ji only passed, and she has never even attended school. In a broad sense, Seo Ye-ji’s forgery of academic background is true. There was no direct apology from Seo Ye-ji even though the lie was caught.
Testimonies about the allegation of school bullying and power abuse also poured out. It was also revealed that Seo Ye-ji withdrew money by finding out the password of an acquaintance’s bank account when she studied in Spain. However, her agency claimed those as “groundless rumors” without giving any proper explanation.
Seo Ye-ji also caused damage to the production team of her latest movie “Recalled“. Seo Ye-ji, one of the main cast of “Recalled“, initially said she would attend the press conference but notified her absence on the morning of the event day. Actor Kim Kang-woo and director Seo Yoo-min struggled and could only watch the movie as a normal one.
Seo Ye-ji rapidly became an unfavorable actress. Nevertheless, tvN’s “Eve’s Scandal” decided to cast Seo Ye-ji. As streaming platforms have become more diverse and OTT makes export routes easier, this has brought about a big reason why they don’t have to be concerned about ratings like in the past. Seo Ye-ji also gained huge popularity overseas with “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay“. The production company cast her after considering only her ability to digest the concept, acting skills, and influence.
“Eve’s Scandal” could make headlines with the title of “Seo Ye-ji’s return” but this can only last for a moment. Even during the time when “Recalled” was released, Seo Ye-ji‘s popularity didn’t help the work receive favorable reviews. Along with Seo Ye-ji’s controversy arising, “Recalled” also topped the box office. Although Seo Ye-ji‘s scandal made the movie become a hot topic, the audiences expressed their regret, saying, “this movie would have been better if Seo Ye-ji‘s issue hadn’t occurred”.
“Eve’s Scandal” is considered a selection like a double-edge sword for Seo Ye-ji. This has proved her spirit of challenging herself to receive evaluations from the public.
