SEVENTEEN Member Vernon recently became the center of controversy after posts allegedly made by his mother surfaced online, sparking accusations of Islamophobia and ableism.
The situation began when a lengthy post written by an account believed to belong to Vernon’s mother attracted attention on X (formerly Twitter). In the post, he discussed MOVES, Pledis entertainmentAND BTSrecognizing it “BTS built the company that was able to buy Pledis [SEVENTEEN’s label]” while stating it MOVES used SEVENTEEN TO “compensate for the loss of income during the BTS enlistment period”.
Shortly thereafter, Internet users discovered additional posts allegedly linked to his account, including political comments that appeared to express support for the former US president. Donald Trump. The account, identified as @MelodyVernonK, sparked further suspicion after tweets referenced the same name listed on its public Facebook profile.
Among the resurfaced tweets, a response to a defensive post Zohran Mamdanithe newly elected Muslim mayor of New York, has attracted particular criticism. Many interpreted his words as equating Muslims with criminals, a remark that quickly fueled accusations of Islamophobia.
Another controversial post allegedly mocked a user by asking if he had done it Tourette syndromea neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by involuntary tics. The comment, combined with the use of the file r-wordwidely recognized as an insult, it intensified public outrage.
As screenshots of posts spread across online communities, both Vernon and SEVENTEEN faced a backlash. Some fans condemned the idol for remaining silent, while others defended him, stressing that a person should not be held responsible for their parents’ opinions.
Comments flooded Vernon’s Instagram, with fans expressing a mix of anger and sympathy. One user wrote, “It’s unfair to blame him for something he didn’t say.” while another criticized, “Public figures should address harmful behavior, including from family.”
The incident sparked an ongoing debate about the boundaries between idols’ personal lives and public responsibility, a recurring issue in the K-pop industry.
Sources: Koreaboo
