Lee Yi Kyung, who stepped away from multiple variety shows amid swirling personal-life scandals, has now claimed that his exit from MBC’s Hangout with Yoo was forced—prompting the production team to issue an apology, though public sentiment remains cold.
On the 21st, Lee Yi Kyung posted a lengthy statement addressing the recent rumors and the real reason behind his departure. The controversy began when a woman from Germany shared what looked like private, explicit conversations with him online. His agency Sangyeong ENT immediately dismissed the claims as fabricated, noting the accuser repeatedly shifted her story—at one point calling the images “AI-generated.” They have filed charges including extortion and defamation.
Amid the fallout, Lee Yi Kyung withdrew from Hangout with Yoo and halted his planned appearance on The Return of Superman. He stated, “She overturned her claims in a day, but the aftermath led the show to urge me to step down,” clarifying it was not his voluntary choice.
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He also revisited an earlier “noodle-eating” controversy, saying he hadn’t wanted to do the bit but agreed after being told that the restaurant was rented for the specific reason. His comment—”This is just for the show”—was edited out, leaving him alone to absorb public criticism. He added that he learned he was replaced on The Return of Superman through news reports, not from the production.
After his disclosures, the Hangout with Yoo team issued a statement admitting fault, acknowledging they “failed to protect the cast member” and lacked proper judgment in the edit while pursuing entertainment value.
But viewers remain critical. Online reactions include: “If his claims are true, the production was irresponsible,” “They always shift blame to the cast,” and “The apology came too late.”
As the backlash continues, past remarks of former cast members opening up about their own frustrating or painful departures from the show is resurfacing. Jung Jun Ha once said he “drank nonstop after the exit,” describing the sudden drop as “not crying—literally wailing.” Shin Bong Sun admitted that things grew awkward between her and the team, while Lee Mijoo also recalled that although the exit was by mutual agreement, it had still left her feeling hurt.
Now, with Lee Yi Kyung’s revelations reigniting scrutiny, viewers are asking: “Why does every exit from this show come with its own version of hurt?” “These are all veterans with plenty of variety experience,” and “If they talked about it this openly on air, the damage must’ve run deep.”
>> Lee Yi Kyung’s Accuser Claims Sexual Texts Are Real, Says She Lied Out of Fear
UPDATE:
A search warrant is expected to be executed on the person responsible for spreading malicious rumors about Lee Yi Kyung.
The court issued a search warrant on November 21st for the social media account of the individual responsible for spreading the rumors about Lee Yi Kyung, according to a report on November 24th. As a result, the police plan to secure the IP and log data of the accounts on domestic portal sites and international social platforms like X (formerly Twitter).
