A recent episode of the “Above The Influence Show” has caused a stir in the K-pop world. During the show, unverified claims were made about BLACKPINK’s Jennie and solo artist IU.
The “Above The Influence” podcast, which often discusses pop culture and industry happenings, became the focal point of the scandal after a specific segment aired. During the episode, one of the hosts, Woohak, recounted an incident, alleging a person identifying as the son of a BMW heir boasted about paying a substantial sum to be with Jennie, and even claimed to have seen a video.
Notably, this is not their first brush with controversy, as the hosts were criticized for their views on black women and promoting stereotypes.
Wootak heard the story from a rich Chinese student in New York, who went to summer camp with the BMW heir. He made unsubstantiated claims on the podcast, quoting the Chinese student,
He f*cked Jennie from BLACKPINK, paid for her and has a s*x video and showed me the s*x video and that’s how I know it was real
Other general comments about the entertainment industry were also made by social media influencer Kira, another participant on the podcast. These discussions have since led to similar unproven stories circulating online about IU.
Kira also made some controversial comments during the podcast:
Apparently, with every Korean celebrity, there is a price tag on their head. And if you are rich enough, like a Chinese businessman, you can, like, go to these entertainment companies and request spending a night, even with the top K-pop stars, even like IU. $5K a night.”
The direct accusation against Jennie and subsequently including IU in the discussion has been particularly damaging. Many pointed out the complete absence of concrete evidence, with the claims resting solely on “word-of-mouth” stories.
This controversial episode of “Above The Influence Show” was released over two months ago. While the show was not widely known initially, a specific clip from the show has now exploded across social media. The viral clip where Jennie and IU are being accused of sleeping with wealthy individuals has garnered 13 million impressions on X.
Even though the hosts have clarified and apologized repeatedly, fans of both Jennie and IU urge the stars to sue them for such unverified claims. Such accusations, even when unproven, can significantly impact an artist’s career, mental health, and public image.
Wootak apologized and clarified his position
While our intention was never to defame or harm Jennie. We were simply repeating stories
– I never claimed I saw the video, I clearly said “she didn’t show it to me”
– I was never calling them names or claiming it was their fault I am saying that such a practice could potentially exist is disgusting and horrible. Like I say in the full clip
– Kira was also never calling anyone names. She was QUOTING what someone told her. And we discussed how crazy and gross that would be if it was real.
While fans are enraged, netizens have a mixed reaction to their claims
Do people not know what happens in the music industry? Not just in the US? I thought this was more common knowledge
I hope they get sued
His source is “trust me bro” lmao
K-pop is basically slavery that y’all continue to support and turn a blind eye too
They need clout so bad they had to create rumors
Neither Jennie’s agency, ODD ATELIER, nor IU’s agency, EDAM Entertainment, has yet issued official statements regarding the specific claims made on the “Above The Influence” podcast.
