From “an actress in her 40s” to “a celebrity mistress born in 1988”, Korean female stars who were dragged into rumors
These actresses had to deal with the damage from online rumors.
In the third week of June, the identity of actress A in her 40s, who was allegedly attacked with a weapon wielded by her younger husband in his 30s, was sought after by netizens. At the same time, female stars who were once rumored to be ‘the other woman born in 1988’ were also brought to the spotlight.
Controversy over the reckless identity reveal of ‘the actress in her 40s’
On June 14th, the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul arrested husband B, in his 30s, who wielded a weapon at his wife A, an actress in her 40s in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul on suspicion of attempted murder.
A restraining order has been applied against B for domestic violence. On the morning of the crime, he purchased a weapon and waited in front of A’s house and waited for A to come out. A suffered a wound to her neck and was taken to a nearby hospital. There is reportedly no risk to her life.
As the incident became known publicly, various speculations about the actress in her 40s surfaced. Several actresses in their 40s who married younger husbands in their 30s were summoned. Some had to speak up to clarify.
Actress Choi Ji Yeon posted on her Instagram the day after the incident, “I’ve been asked if I’m okay since the morning. I was surprised to see the article.” In addition, she dismissed the rumors by releasing an intimate photo with her husband.
Actress Han Min Chae also denied through SNS when she was dragged into netizens’ theory. She drew the line by saying, “You probably guessed it was me because I’m married to someone younger and I’m a less active actress, but it’s not me.”
She continued, “My husband is hurt, too. I live in Namyangju, and I was never a supermodel. I went to a wedding with my husband three days ago, and I’m still in my 30s.“
While actresses unrelated to the rumor are complaining for damage due to netizens’ reckless speculation of the victim, the Garosero Research Institute visited the victim’s residence and disclosed her real name, further igniting concerns about the second offense.
CEO Kim Se Yeon of Garosero Institute revealed A’s real name and residence through a YouTube video. They argued, “If the name of the victim is not disclosed, the wrong people will suffer. We need to clarify the name of the victim to prevent secondary and tertiary damage.“
No proof and no fact check… A absurd rumor over ‘a celebrity born in 1988 who is in an affair’
The above incident is not the first time female stars suffer from rumors. Members of pop ballad female trio Gavy NJ had to come forward with explanations over the insulting misunderstanding that they were mistresses in an affair.
In February of this year, in an online community, a netizen wrote, ‘I’m exposing the personal life of a member born in 1988 of a three-member girl group‘, and the post quickly drew attention. The original poster claimed, “My husband cheated on me with celebrity A, and she even had an abortion due to her pregnancy.“
The post was deleted soon after, but unfounded speculations were sparked among netizens. Among the Gavy NJ members, Jenny and Seorin, who were both born in 1988, came under suspicion.
Some YouTubers mentioned Jenny and Seorin without fact-checking, and uploaded videos guessing the identity for the sake of views only. It was an obvious secondary offense that did not go through identity verification.
Jenny and Seorin posted on their Instagram accounts about their displeasure and gave warnings that they would take legal action. Jenny said, “There have been more and more people who mention my name without checking any facts. It’s hard to guess and speculate. Just remember that a word you say carelessly can leave someone with an indelible wound for the rest of their life.”
Seorin also expressed anger, saying, “I sincerely hope that you stop making thoughtless guesses and speculations without accurate information or fact-checking. I will take strong action against all the reckless false rumors that undermine my personality.”
Making speculations based on groundless information is still perceived as a kind of fun gossip by many netizens. The Korean entertainment industry has had to make a lot of sacrifices due to the tragic deaths of several celebrities who suffered from malicious rumors. It’s really time to take responsibility for what you’re saying online.
Source: daum
