On October 23, Jessi posted a message on her social media saying: “Please stop…” along with a screenshot of the malicious comment. The comments contained offensive comments, “The best news would be if you committed suicide by taking medicine, that would be good news. So I’ll wait for him.”
A few hours later, Jessi posted an apology on her Instagram account. In his apology, he stated, “Although this incident happened because of me, from the moment it happened until now, my wrong actions and attitudes, coupled with my lack of response, have hurt many people, including the victim, causing feelings of betrayal and anger . I regretted it thousands, even tens of thousands of times. I wish I could go back to that moment.”
He continued, “If I had taken a photo with the victim, if I had actively protected him, if I had gone directly to the police station at that time, if I had offered a proper apology, the victim would not have suffered so much. All of this is my responsibility. I know I can’t be forgiven with a few words. However, I will do my best to correct my mistakes and help the victim recover. It’s too late, but once again I seek forgiveness. I was wrong.”
The controversy began when a video surfaced showing an underage fan being assaulted after asking Jessi for a photo. Jessi was soon implicated in the fan assault case.
A representative for Jessi told Xports News that she had no connection to the attacker and was not involved in the incident. “The police were present at the scene and we cooperated fully with them,” the representative added.
However, questions arose when footage showed Jessi appearing to intervene, leading to suspicions that she knew the attacker. It was also revealed that the attacker knew Koala, a producer close to Jessi, further fueling the controversy. Netizens began to speculate that the attacker, a Taiwanese-American, may have had links to Korean triads or gangs.
Jessi, after the accident, expressed regret and moral responsibility, stating, “Regardless of the circumstances, I am deeply sorry that my fan suffered such an unfortunate accident.” He later participated in a police investigation as a witness and eventually terminated his contract with his agency.
DOD, the label Jessi was signed to, apologized for the situation, “We have discussed her future activities in depth and, at Jessi’s request, have decided to terminate her contract effective October 18, 2024.”
YouTuber Lee Jin-ho said that although Jessi initially did not know the attacker, it was confirmed that the attacker contacted her after the case became public. Lee Jin-ho also pointed out that the attacker revealed his identity to Jessi after confronting him, asking her why she hadn’t taken more active steps to address the situation.
In response to Jessi’s appeal, netizens commented: “There are many things that seem suspicious, but the hateful comments have crossed the line” “We should wait for the truth to come out before attacking” AND “There is no need for personal attacks.”
Source: Daum
