“Terrible Journalism” — Internet Responds to Allkpop’s Live Space Allegations Against Jessi During Her Ongoing Fan Assault Controversy

On October 23, 2024, South Korean news platform Allkpop conducted an exclusive interview via X Spaces with the alleged assault victim associated with Jessi’s acquaintance. The livestream attracted more than 26,000 viewers eager to learn more about the unfolding controversy.

However, Allkpop faced significant backlash from netizens for what many deemed “poor journalism.”Critics accused the host, Choe Mina, of attempting to shift blame onto the rapper. To provide context, on September 29, 2024, during an event in Gangnam, Seoul, Jessi politely refused a male fan’s request for a selfie.

Subsequently, another individual reportedly intervened and struck the fan. Jessi claimed it was her first encounter with the assailant that day. Korean internet users chastised Jessi for merely being a bystander and failing to protect the fan from the alleged assault.

During the livestream, the hosts resurrected a 2013 incident involving the rapper’s female companions allegedly attacking another girl. In a segment aired on JTBC’s Crime Chief on October 17, 2024, a woman claimed that she was assaulted by Jessi’s friends in a club restroom while Jessi restrained her.

Despite this claim, the female victim admitted that there was no CCTV evidence to support her story. Meanwhile, fans of the rapper expressed their concerns over Allkpop’s live interview. One fan remarked on X that they appreciated Liz’s efforts to defend Jessi, stating:

“A 4-hour space to spread false info about an innocent person. I’m glad Liz came to defend Jessi, especially because Jessi has depression and is really struggling right now. Allkpop giving Mina a platform to continue to lie about her is so disgusting. Terrible journalism.”

Jessi’s fans accused Allkpop of defaming her character through slander and libel, emphasizing that attention should be directed at the man who assaulted the male fan instead of blaming the rapper, who purportedly attempted to intervene. They argued that bringing up an event from over a decade ago was unwarranted given the lack of evidence.

“After this space about Jessi, everybody needs to go report and block allkpop for defamation of character, slander and libel because this live is ridiculous. Johnny hasn’t checked Bunny not once about her behavior towards Jessi while agreeing with the fact that she’s a victim.”an X user commented.

“Liz speaking the truth! Allkpop is promoting someone trying to gain fame from a situation that occurred 11 years ago JUST because of a recent altercation between two men. Seriously, how is Jessi being held responsible for all of this?”another user expressed.

“LOL, Allkpop thought they’d have an exclusive with Mina only for her to ruin the entire space, and now the truth is coming out, dragging both Mina and Allkpop. My Jessi, you’re loved, and things are starting to look up,”a fan noted.

Other comments denounced the idea that Jessi had committed any wrongdoing or should bear the blame.

“The Allkpop host is only siding with Bunny despite hearing the full story. It’s likely he has a bias against Jessi, which is why he’s supporting Bunny,”one fan remarked.

“This Jessi Allkpop space… Bunny can’t even explain the rationale behind Jessi’s expulsion from Korea; I cannot even,”another fan stated.

“Allkpop is heading down a dark path. Their space title is utterly misleading and defamatory. Jessi has NOT assaulted ANYONE! This space is just some random person seeking attention,”another user pointed out.

Jessi Issues Another Apology on Instagram

On October 24, The Star reported that Jessi faced criticism following the viral release of CCTV footage showing her attempting to prevent the man from attacking the male fan. This video sparked considerable debate, as some netizens contended that she failed to take sufficient action to safeguard her fan.

Moreover, she was scrutinized for allegedly lingering at a nearby establishment after the incident occurred. On October 18, Jessi was called to the Gangnam Police Station for a lengthy six-hour interrogation.

According to News18 on October 24, 2024, Jessi took to her social media accounts to issue another heartfelt apology to the victim.

“I want to sincerely apologize to the victim and their family affected by this incident. Even though I caused this situation, my inappropriate behavior, attitude, and failure to respond have harmed many, including the victim. I have made them feel betrayed and angry,”she expressed.

The Korean-American artist added her regret for not being able to change the course of events and reiterated her commitment to accepting “full responsibility.”

On October 18, 2024, DOD Entertainment announced the termination of their contract with the ZOOM rapper amid the ongoing controversy, noting that the decision was made collaboratively between the agency and the rapper.

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