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On November 8, 2024, a report by HYPE alleged that JTBC altered the CCTV clip showing South Korean rapper Jessi abandoning the scene when a fan was reportedly assaulted by one of her alleged acquaintances.
As per the outlet, the allegedly manipulated clip showed the rapper with her friends outside a club when a young male fan approached her for a picture. The singer allegedly refused his request, but as he was about to leave, a man walked up to him from afar and hit him. In the clip, the rapper tried to stop the assailant from attacking the fan. However, it seemed she left the scene in the allegedly doctored CCTV clip from JTBC.
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On November 8, the supposed original CCTV clip went viral online. In the video, Jessi is seen stopping the assailant several times from attacking the male fan. Her other friends were also trying to stop the assailant from attacking. Ultimately, she was seen walking to the other side of the road (JTBC footage reportedly ended right here) and returning to check up on the male fan.
Fans were baffled to see the supposed original CCTV footage and lashed out at JTBC for alleged manipulation of evidence and misreporting. They trended several hashtags on X, including "JTBC APOLOGIZE TO JESSI."
"The CCTV footage was EDITED by kmedia to make it look like Jessi left the scene when that was NOT true. Luckily, the truth only goes one way. JTBC APOLOGIZE TO JESSI," one fan wrote on X.
Fans accused JTBC of "spreading misinformation" and allegedly ruining the rapper's career. They criticized the news outlet for allegedly doctoring CCTV footage for the second time in two months to "smear" an idol's reputation.
For the unversed, in August 2024, JTBC reportedly aired a manipulated CCTV clip of BTS' Suga drunk driving a scooter, for which the outlet later apologized on national TV.
"Notice how it’s jtbc again? We have been saying that the f***ing media and the bvllying culture in sk is CRAZY and people are literally making money from spreading misinformation and face no consequences," one fan wrote.
"Bring my girl back... give her the career back u ended. Give her back those nights she cried due to depression y'all put her thru for basically nothing. Knetz will never understand from their past mistakes..." another fan added.
"This is the second time in less than half a year they have doctored cctv footage to smear an individual. Jtbc needs to be sanctioned/held accountable or they shouldn't be allowed to broadcast at all." another fan emphasized.
Others demanded that the news outlet should get reprimanded for allegedly "leading smear campaigns."
"Atp JTBC gotta be terminated as a network, how many more times can the get away with putting out false and tampered evidence and leading smear campaigns," one fan commented.
"It's unbelievable that they're doing such things that can damage artist's reputation forever and aren't punished for it," another fan said.
"It's sickening how jtbc continues to spread misinfo and distort the truth. how can they destroy someone's career and mental health, only to get away with it by offering an apology later with no real consequences? I feel sorry for her," one other fan wrote.
Police clear charges against Jessi of alleged threats and concealing evidence amid her fan assault controversy
On November 7, 2024, Yonhap News reported that the police dismissed the accusations against the rapper, citing inadequate proof of her hiding and helping a criminal escape during the alleged fan assault.
In October 2024, South Korean channel JTBC reported how a fan was allegedly hit by the rapper's "friend" on the night of September 29, 2024. According to Maeil Business Newspaper, JTBC claimed that the fan was hit and intimidated by producer Koala, a music producer who allegedly works with Jessi. However, CCTV footage showed another man walking towards the group and beating the 18-year-old fan.
During police interrogation, Jessi admitted that the attacker was a friend of someone she knew. She told the police that she did not know the assailant and had only met him that day. The Strait Times reported that the assailant was identified as a Taiwanese male who left South Korea three days after the incident.
However, producer Koala (36) was indicted of assault and was sent for prosecution. On October 18, DOD Entertainment announced terminating the rapper's contract amid controversy. She had signed with the agency a month before, in September 2024.
Despite apologizing for failing to protect the fan, Jessi faced public backlash as Korean netizens demanded she leave the country.
In other news, NME reported that Jessi established her label, UNNI, on September 20, 2024, in partnership with DOD Entertainment. However, after the alleged fan assault and DOD Entertainment terminating her contract, the current standing of her label is undetermined.
