Lee Na-eun, a former member of the girl group APRIL who has transitioned to acting, discussed her emotions following the school bullying scandal in a recent video with travel YouTuber Kwak Tube. As Kwak Tube shared his own experiences as a bullying victim, their dialogue sparked significant interest, bringing renewed attention to the topic of school bullying and the controversies surrounding the alleged mistreatment of fellow members.
On the 16th, Kwak Tube uploaded a new video titled “My Romantic Week in Italy – Italy” to his YouTube channel.
In the video, Kwak Tube is seen enjoying a joyful trip to Italy alongside Lee Na-eun. During a dinner conversation, he began by saying, “I have something I feel sorry about.”
He went on to say, “There was a lot of gossip around, and every time school bullying came up, I felt sensitive. Discussions about victims and perpetrators were everywhere. I was taken aback and ended up blocking you right after I saw that.” He continued, “Then, I came across an article saying it wasn’t true. So I unblocked you, but by then you were already aware of the situation. I never mentioned this to you directly, but as a fellow victim, I expressed a lot while also feeling that I might have hurt someone who was misunderstood.”
In response, Lee Na-eun stated, “Haven’t we met a few times since all that happened? When I joked about things, I would say, ‘You blocked me.’ Honestly, I thought as time passed, the hurt wouldn’t linger.” She further shared, “It was disheartening to see people misjudge me and block me because of it, and the fact that it happened with so many others made me feel sad.” Lee Na-eun added, “I actually met that person. He was wonderful. We had a great conversation, and I genuinely liked him as a YouTuber. Now, I’m not disappointed anymore as there are many who don’t know my story.”
“There weren’t many. Most just focused on the controversy. You’re seven years younger than me, right?”
Lee Na-eun debuted with APRIL in 2015 and gained notoriety in 2018 through the web drama “A-Teen.” However, she became embroiled in bullying allegations regarding her fellow member Lee Hyun-joo in 2020.
Lee Hyun-joo alleged that she endured group bullying from 2014, the period leading up to her debut, until her departure from the group in 2016. She claimed, “I faced continuous physical and verbal abuse, harassment, and insults for three years. It was particularly painful to bear groundless insults and attacks on my beloved family members. The company knew about the situation but failed to intervene.”
At that time, Lee Na-eun, alongside Lee Jin-sol, Kim Chae-won, and Yang Ye-na, denied the bullying allegations and countered the claims presented by Lee Hyun-joo. However, inconsistencies in Kim Chae-won’s statements further eroded their credibility, prompting accusations of misinformation.
Prosecutors subsequently dismissed defamation charges against Lee Hyun-joo’s brother and a former classmate, who had been sued by DSP Media. They concluded that while interpersonal conflicts existed within the group, it was challenging to classify these as bullying, complicating the assessment of the allegations.
Additionally, Lee Na-eun faced accusations of school bullying. However, the individual making these claims was charged with defamation for spreading false information, and Lee Na-eun was exonerated in this matter.
In the wake of this scandal, APRIL disbanded, and the members understandably suspended their activities. After signing an exclusive contract with Namoo Actors in 2022, Lee Na-eun made a comeback with her role in the SBS drama “Flex X Cop.”
Earlier this year, Lee Na-eun also made headlines with dating rumors concerning soccer player Lee Kang-in. Her upcoming project is the action thriller drama “i Shopping,” which centers around the survival and revenge of children abandoned by their adoptive parents, featuring alongside Yum Jung-ah, Won Jin-ah, and Dex.
Source: Daum
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