'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABgAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABwgQAAEDBQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMAAQQCBQYHEhEhAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEEQABBAEFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEEQAFEiFCUf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AsGrs/ibK3NFu1yx6GCeCGQcSSEpGqGzj58r9+Eblbb5ZETdWjMxZZQ0nak2asnsfcPCfdfZCnFWQALoDihn/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Ever since the rise of speculations surrounding NCT's Lucas where his alleged ex-girlfriends took to the internet to share stories in August of 2021, which accused the idol of cheating and gaslighting, he has been on a hiatus. While most K-pop idols bounce back after a brief absence, his circumstances were extremely different. The idol remained on hiatus with just sporadic updates on the internet.
Recently, in light of the events, fans' hopes of him resuming his activities grew when they noticed an uptick in the pace of his Instagram updates, which featured dance practices and photos of himself. However, the recent news of Lucas' departure from both NCT and its Chinese subunit, WayV, has shocked fans.
Regardless, they are all ready to witness the idol's upcoming trajectory as a soloist within SM Entertainment and are prepared to support him in his future ambitions.
From NCT Lucas' hiatus to his departure from the group and WayV: The idol's timeline following his scandal with ex-girlfriend
Cheating scandal with ex-girlfriend and the subsequent hiatus
The root cause of Lucas's disappearance from the public eye can be traced back to August 23, 2021, when an alleged victim of the idol's misbehavior and abuse came forward with her confession. Following its reach on the internet, more victims who suffered similar treatment at the hands of the idol came forward to share their stories, causing quite a stir on social media.
As netizens directed their anger and frustration at the idol for his behavior, both the idol and his management, SM Entertainment, quickly responded. The idol apologized for his "irresponsible behavior" in the past and the management sided with his stance.
Following this, the rapper took a break from his schedule with NCT and WayV to reflect on his actions and resolve the conflicts more appropriately.
Fans protest against allegations
Even when the idol went on hiatus, netizens continued to debate the topic and the authenticity of the charges. Since Lucas neither confirmed nor denied these allegations, his fans felt that maybe the idol was innocent. After digging more into the matter, fans discovered that part of the evidence presented by the purported victims to back up their claims was fabricated in a way to cast the idol in a negative light.
Following these realizations, fans began a protest on several social media platforms around November 2021, majorly on Twitter. They trended "LucasOut" to defend the idol and support him in the face of allegations. However, due to the lack of clarification from the management and the absence of communication with the idol, he continued to receive hate from netizens.
First Instagram update after his hiatus
After the hiatus, fans neither got a glimpse of the idol in NCT or WayV's schedules, in offline locations, nor on online platforms. As fans continued to shower him with love, hoping for his return, after almost six months Lucas posted on his Instagram. On August 28, 2022, the idol posted a picture of a group of people playing frisbee by the beach.
Fans could not contain their excitement over the same since the BOSS rapper has maintained no communication or contact with them through any other means. While they couldn't directly communicate with him or understand how the idol was doing, they took it as a sign that Lucas was attempting to stay in contact with his fans in some way.
Comeback hints with Instagram posts
While most of his posts on Instagram never showed the idol himself, the first time fans got a glimpse of him was on February 1, 2023, when Lucas posted a dance practice video. The short video featured him dancing in SM Entertainment's practice room. It left fans feeling nostalgic since they haven't seen him active in almost three years.
Over time, the idol posted another Instagram story where he danced along with the choreographer Sooram, and also posted about the same on his feed. Fans naturally rejoiced at him being active and started to wonder if these were portents of his comeback. Following this, they also came across a photo of Lucas and the CEO of SM Entertainment, Chris Lee (Lee Sung-soo) seated beside the idol, which Lee himself uploaded, leading fans to speculate if he was finally returning to the industry.
Since it's quite rare and unexpected for the CEO himself to post individual pictures with his artists, fans felt that it held a deeper meaning. While some believed that the idol would resume his activities in NCT and WayV, others felt that it might point towards his fresh start as a soloist. With the latest news, it looks like the latter was closer to the truth.
Lucas' departure from NCT and WayV
On May 10, wrapping up the long-ongoing discussions surrounding Lucas, SM Entertainment released a statement announcing the idol's official departure from NCT and WayV.
"This is SM Entertainment. We have an announcement regarding LUCAS' future plans. After our deliberate discussion, we made a mutual discussion to part ways with NCT and WayV to pursue individual endeavors. We ask for your understanding and continuous support as this was a discussion taken after much consideration of both the members and all the fans who have supported."
The statement continued,
"LUCAS is planning on showing his performances through a wide variety of individual works from now on. Once again, we sincerely appreciate lavished love and support from all the fans and ask your continuous support and interest in the future. Thank you."
In addition, the idol posted a handwritten letter on Instagram to express his own feelings regarding the situation.
As the idol continues his endeavors as a soloist in the future, fans are ready to send all their love and support his way.
