The individual who spread rumors about actor Lee Yi Kyung’s personal life has retracted previous claims. According to Newsis, a German woman identified as A posted on X on the 4th, stating that she was considering releasing proof photos and insisting that the AI explanation was false. She claimed she felt wronged, argued that she had never been sued, and hinted at revealing photos of herself in specific colored clothing.
On the 24th of last month, A also argued that AI could not generate celebrity faces or photos, sharing a screenshot of a conversation with Google’s Gemini after asking whether it could recreate a Korean actor.
On the 20th of last month, A uploaded a Naver blog post titled Exposing the Real Lee Yi Kyung, which included alleged KakaoTalk and Instagram message exchanges with someone presumed to be the actor.
The messages contained requests for intimate photos, as well as insults, sexual harassment, and vulgar language, alongside photos from filming locations and selfies. Two days later, on the 22nd, A abruptly apologized and claimed the content had been manipulated by AI.
Lee Yi Kyung’s team has remained largely silent, offering no additional comments or details on potential legal action. His agency, Sangyoung ENT, announced on the 3rd of this month that it had submitted evidence to the Gangnam Police Station and filed a complaint for defamation and spreading false information. The agency stated that no settlement discussions had been attempted and would not occur under any circumstances.
Due to the controversy, Lee Yi Kyung’s planned appearance on KBS 2TV’s The Return of Superman has been canceled. The production team previously revealed that Lee Yi Kyung and content creator Lala had been selected as new MCs, replacing Choi Ji Woo, Ahn Youngmi, and Park Soohong, with their debut scheduled for the 12th at 8:30 PM. However, the program could not proceed with recording once the rumors began circulating.
Kim Jongmin of Koyote will take his place and film with Lala for the first recording on the 19th, with the episode airing on the 26th.
Lee Yi Kyung has also stepped down from MBC’s How Do You Play? after three years. Although the production team and his agency cited film scheduling conflicts, the sudden program cancellation left him without a final farewell. He is expected to continue filming for ENA’s I Am Solo and E Channel’s Brave Detectives.
