On the 28th, ØHENRY introduced himself as a witness in the video capturing the incident, saying, “I am a witness that was also in the video that was released (of the night of the incident).”
ØHENRY is gaining attention as an American singer of Nigerian descent with various R&B tracks such as “Belong With Me,” “Put It Down,” “Worth It,” “Dominos,” and “Every Day & Night.” He participated in composing the song “Love or Die” for The New Six, which ranked 14th in Billboard’s “2023 Best K-Pop Songs” last year.
It appears that ØHENRY spoke up as a witness following the allegations that Jessie was involved in the incident with the underage fan.
ØHENRY explained, “I was invited by some friends in the music industry to meet up at Courte Cafe in Gangnam. There, I was introduced to a group of new friends, including Jessi, for the first time. After the bar closed, we all decided to get food and chill. A group of at least 12 of us walked to find food, but we soon became separated. During this time, so many fans recognized Jessi and asked for photos, which she graciously accommodated.”
He continued, “As we were scattered, we decided to wait together until we could regroup. Many in the group were intoxicated, but Jessi and I were sober. We sat across from a 7-Eleven until one of our friends found the rest of the group. Jessi mentioned that she never goes out and that this was her first outing in a while. She expressed frustration about the group’s intoxication and the fact that we had lost each other.“
He further explained, “Soon a male fan, accompanied by two friends, approached Jessi and asked for a photo. Given the late hour, exhaustion, and the fact that Jessi was caring for an intoxicated friend, Koala, she politely declined, explaining that she was tired. Despite her refusal, the fan persisted, repeatedly asking “why?” in a manner that could be considered harassing.”
ØHENRY also stated, “As we were about to leave, the man we had just met that night suddenly punched the fan. We were all shocked and confused by this unprovoked act of violence. Jessi was understandably terrified and anxious. None of us knew this man personally, and we were baffled by his behavior. We later learned that he was not even from Korea. Jessi tried hard to stop it from escalating but that man’s decision was outrageous.”
He added, “Jessi called her friend for help in distress, and we met up with him a block away at a restaurant(izakaya) to calm down and discuss the incident. We didn’t eat or drink just wanted to process what happened. Then police came asking us all for our Ids and the Fan came in and said no it wasn’t them and they left,” emphasizing that their visit to the restaurant was not for drinking but for resolving the situation.
ØHENRY said, “I put this on everything I love, she did nothing wrong! I was there and saw everything first hand. We all just met that night. How can she control a crazy ass grown man she doesn’t even know. Yall have to stop with this narrative like shes a bad person. Its really manipulation. Jessi, keep ya confidence and head up!”
In the early morning of September 28, an incident occurred in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam, Seoul, where an underage fan requested a photo with Jessie and was assaulted by a man believed to be part of Jessie’s entourage. After CCTV footage showed Jessie attempting to intervene before leaving the scene, some criticized her for abandoning her moral responsibility while the underage fan was being assaulted. As a result, Jessie recently appeared at the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul for questioning.
Jessie has apologized twice. She stated, “Although the incident arose due to me, my actions, attitude, and lack of response since the incident occurred have hurt many people, including the victim, and caused feelings of betrayal and anger. I regret it thousands and tens of thousands of times. I wish I could go back to that moment.” She expressed, “Now, I will work to correct my mistakes and help the victim recover. It’s too late, but I ask for forgiveness once again. I was wrong.”
In contrast, the assault victim rebutted through JTBC’s “Incident Director,” saying, “I don’t think Jessie seems to be reflecting much, and I think there’s a lack of sincerity in her use of the term moral responsibility.”
