Rising star Lee Do Hyun has been embroiled in a controversy over “deceiving fans” after one netizen accused him of giving a fan’s gift to his girlfriend. And his agency stepped up and released the official position.
Yesterday, netizen A accused Lee Do Hyun of presenting his girlfriend a hat he received as a gift from his fans. A wrote, “There’s an actor whose girlfriend ‘certifies’ a fan’s birthday gift? And he pressed ‘like’ on the post?”
According to A, Lee received a pig doll hat as a gift from fans. Later, a woman believed to be his girlfriend posted a photo of herself wearing the hat on her Instagram, and Lee used his private account to press “like” on the post.
As suspicions spread around the online communities and Twitter that Lee Do Hyun deceived fans, fans started to demand a refund of the support fees they sent for the actor’s 3rd-anniversary event and after-party for 18 Again.
In response, Lee Do Hyun’s supporters said on their official Twitter account, “We are notifying you because we are receiving inquiries for refunds,” adding, “It is difficult to give refunds, so we are thinking of sponsoring abandoned dog rescue organizations for the remaining amount.” However, they also added, “We are not planning to proceed with any further support after this.”
Regarding the controversy, Lee’s agency explained, “The woman in the picture is one of his acquaintances. That photo (of her wearing the hat) was taken 3 years ago. Then, he met up with close friends and took the photo while they tried on the hat.”
Lee Do Hyun made his debut through tvN’s Prison Playbook. He later rose to stardom by appearing as Jang Man Wol’s (IU) first love Go Chung Myung in drama Hotel Del Luna. He is currently starring in the JTBC drama 18 Again.