A woman identified only as A, who previously posted allegations about actor Lee Yi-kyung’s private life, denied speculation that she retracted her claims because of a settlement or pressure from his agency, saying it had been an “AI prank.”
After restoring her X account on the 23rd, A wrote, “I didn’t take any money and I wasn’t threatened. This is all I plan to say. Thanks for understanding.” The post pushed back on rumors that she’d reversed her apology within a day and that any walk-back came after a cash deal with the agency.
When a user commented, “You just can’t admit you got paid,” A replied directly: “I didn’t.”
On the 20th, A had uploaded a Naver blog post titled “Revealing the Real Lee Yi-kyung,” sharing what she claimed were KakaoTalk and Instagram DM exchanges with the actor. The messages appeared to show requests for explicit photos, profanity and sexually explicit remarks, sparking controversy.
Lee Yi-kyung’s agency, Sangyoung ENT, responded that A had sent a blackmail-tinged email about five months earlier, alleging she had stitched together messages and demanded money. The company said it was preparing legal action.
As the uproar grew, A apologized the day before, saying, “It started as a joke, and I didn’t expect it to get so much attention. Using AI images and writing, I started to believe it myself,” admitting the allegations were fabricated. “I’m truly sorry for spreading malicious rumors. It began as fun, but it went too far, and I feel guilty,” she wrote.
Photo: Baik Seung-Chul
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)