RIIZE SHOTARO Shuts Down Dating Rumors with aespa GISELLE: "We're Not like That"

SHOTARO of RIIZE directly addressed rumors linking him to aespa’s GISELLE, making it clear there’s nothing romantic going on.

During a live broadcast on the 29th, the idol shut down speculation after some viewers repeatedly posted comments suggesting the two were dating.

“I keep seeing weird comments about me and GISELLE,” he said. “We’re not dating. She’s a senior at the same label and a close friend―nothing more. Please don’t misunderstand. I wasn’t planning to respond to this, but I felt I needed to clear it up.”

In K-pop, stars typically avoid commenting on their personal lives to prevent further speculation. But as the chatter escalated in real time during the livestream, SHOTARO took the unusual step of addressing it head-on.

Both SHOTARO and GISELLE are Japanese K-pop standouts. RIIZE recently drew global attention as the only K-pop group featured at “The First Look,” an event during CES 2026.

Photo: Baik Seung-Chul

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)