The recent revelation that NCT member Taeil participated in a fan meeting while being accused of sexual assault has sparked significant controversy among fans.
As the controversy grew, an SM Entertainment representative clarified in an interview with Newsen on the 29th, saying, “Both our company and Taeil were first made aware of the allegations in mid-August, and Taeil underwent police questioning on the 28th. We only learned of the lawsuit after the fan meeting.”
Previously, SM Entertainment released a statement on the 28th, saying, “We recently confirmed that Taeil has been sued in a criminal case related to sexual assault. Upon understanding the seriousness of the matter, we decided that Taeil could no longer continue with the group activities and discussed his departure with him.”
According to the Seoul Bangbae Police Station, an individual reported to the police in June that they had been sexually assaulted by Taeil. The investigation is currently ongoing.
The issue lies in the fact that Taeil continued his activities even after being sued.
Before the allegations became public, Taeil participated in the NCT 127 8th Anniversary Fan Meeting, held on the 3rd and 4th of this month at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, where he performed on stage.
The fact that Taeil appeared smiling in front of fans after the lawsuit became known has led to criticism on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), with comments such as, “How shameless,” and “Seeing him immediately expelled from the group after the lawsuit shows how serious the matter is.”
Following the news of Taeil’s sexual assault allegations, fellow group members Taeyong and Doyoung quickly unfollowed him on Instagram, showing a rapid distancing from him.
SM Entertainment also updated their fan communication platform Weverse by changing the group photo to one without Taeil and unfollowed his account on their official Instagram.
Additionally, the fan sign events scheduled for members Jaehyun, Mark, and Haechan were postponed, causing major disruptions to the group’s schedule.
Source: wikitree
