When it rains, it pours for Lee Min Ho. The actor’s latest setback comes not only from his struggling drama but also from unexpected dating rumors started by former 2NE1 member Park Bom herself.
tvN’s When the Stars Gossip, starring Lee Min Ho and Gong Hyo Jin, has become this year’s most talked-about series for all the wrong reasons. Despite its groundbreaking 50 billion won ($35 million) budget and pioneering status as Korea’s first space rom-com, the show’s ratings remain stuck between 1-2%. This marks tvN’s first weekend drama to hit the 1% range since 2019’s Melting Me Softly.
The timing couldn’t be worse for CJ ENM, already struggling against Netflix’s dominance. While not solely responsible for When the Stars Gossip performance, the fact that this five-year-anticipated project has fallen short has prompted securities firms to continuously lower CJ ENM’s expected earnings and target stock prices.
Critics point to several factors behind When the Stars Gossip‘s struggle—unconvincing narrative, implausible intimate scenes, and an overly ambitious concept that breaks viewer immersion. When a show shoots for the stars, its lead actors can’t expect to stay grounded in viewers’ hearts. When ratings plummet, lead actors can’t escape their share of responsibility. Lee Min Ho and Gong Hyo Jin now find their latest work remembered for an awkward zero-gravity nude scene.
Amid this turmoil, 2NE1’s Park Bom unexpectedly thrust Lee into dating rumors of her own making. On February 12th, Park posted on her Instagram sub-account with the caption “my husband” alongside side-by-side photos of herself and the actor. Given both celebrities’ high profiles, dating rumors spread like wildfire. Notably, Park had posted similar content last September, declaring “truly husband” with the same photo format. While she had previously deleted the post and explained it as her fangirling over the star, the repeated incident has left many wondering whether this is a genuine dating rumor or merely an unwanted disruption.
For Lee Min Ho, who has enjoyed a string of successes from The Heirs through The Legend of the Blue Sea, The King: Eternal Monarch and Pachinko, this marks an unprecedented series of challenges. Setting aside the Park Bom incident, the actor appears to be deeply concerned about his exit strategy from a 1% rated drama that has even called his audience appeal into question.
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