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 remarks, “The best news would be that you committed suicide by taking medicines, that would be good news. So I’ll be waiting for it.”
A few hours later, Jessi posted an apology on her Instagram account. In the apology, she stated, “Although this incident occured because of me, from the moment it happened until now, my wrong actions and attitudes, alon with my lack of response, have hurt many people, including the victim, causing feelings of betrayal and anger. I have regretted this thousands, even tens of thousands of times. I wish I could go back to that moment.”
She continued, “If I had taken a photo with the victim, if I had actively protected the victim, if I had gone straight to the police station at that moment, if I had offered a proper apology, the victim would not have suffered this much. All of this is my responsibility. I know that I cannot be forgiven with just 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 a minor 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 with the assailant and was not involved in the incident. “The police were present at the scene, and we fully cooperated 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 assailant was acquainted with Koala, a producer close to Jessi, further fueling the controversy. Netizens began speculating that the attacker, a Taiwanese-American, might have connections to triads or Korean gangs.
Jessi, after the incident, expressed regret and moral responsibility, stating, “Regardless of the circumstances, I deeply regret that my fan suffered such an unfortunate incident.” She later participated in a police investigation as a witness and eventually terminated her contract with her agency.
DOD, the label Jessi had signed with, apologized for the situation, “We had extensive discussions about her future activities, and at Jessi’s request, we decided to end her contract as of October 18, 2024.”
YouTuber Lee Jin-ho claimed that while Jessi may not have known the attacker initially, it was confirmed that the assailant contacted her after the case became public. Lee Jin-ho also pointed out that the attacker revealed his identity to Jessi after she confronted him, questioning why she didn’t take more active steps to address the situation.
In response to Jessi’s plea, netizens commented, “There are many things that seem suspicious, but hate comments have crossed the line,” “We should wait for the truth to come out before attacking,” and “There’s no need for personal attacks.”
Source: Daum
