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On April 10, 2025, TV Report News reported that the family of the late actress Kim Sae-ron refuted recent allegations made by YouTuber Lee Jin-ho, who claimed to possess a video from 2019 allegedly showing Kim Sae-ron kissing a man other than actor Kim Soo-hyun.
The family labeled these assertions as baseless and defamatory, initiating legal proceedings against Lee for spreading false information. Notably, the family maintained that such rumors contributed to Kim Sae-ron's emotional distress prior to her s*icide on February 16, 2025.
The family stated that on the day of May 27, 2019, the Bloodhounds actress was with a female friend and had also called her mother to inform her about the same. The actress also sent her mother video clips of her with her female friend at 1 am.
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This was a rebuttal to YouTuber Lee Jin-ho's latest allegations that the late actress was hanging out with a male on the same day. Lee Jin-ho claimed that the man was not Kim Soo-hyun and the video clip allegedly shows the actress kissing and holding hands with another man. He stated that he received the clip from one of her close acquaintances.
"Since these were taken from a considerable distance, Kim Sae Ron’s face is not clearly visible. However, this video was taken by one of her closest friends, who was surprised to see Kim Sae Ron engaging in public affection and decided to film it," he said (as translated by Koreaboo).
Lee Jin-ho continued:
"This footage eventually circulated to some staff members at her agency, and through similar processes, I was able to obtain it. The metadata of the video confirms that it was taken on May 27, 2019. This means that Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron were both dating different people at the same time, as this evidence shows."
Kim Sae-ron’s family sues YouTuber Lee Jin-ho amidst Kim Soo-hyun dating controversy
The family of the late actress Kim Sae-ron initiated legal proceedings against YouTuber Lee Jin-ho, accusing him of defamation and the dissemination of false information that they allege contributed to the actress's tragic death in February 2025.
This lawsuit emerges amidst ongoing controversies involving actor Kim Soo-hyun, who has faced allegations regarding his past relationship with Kim Sae-ron.
On March 16, 2025, lawyer Bu Ji-seok, acting for the Kim Sae-ron family, filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.
The family claimed that Lee Jin-ho made false representations about Kim Sae-ron using his YouTube channel, including that she made up a dating relationship with Kim Soo-hyun. The family also communicated that this severely damaged the reputation and mental health of their daughter.
Lee Jin-ho provided a statement regarding the legal action in the video My Statement on the Lawsuit… I Will Reveal the Truth Until the End. He acknowledged the family's point of view, but insisted that he never said Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun's relationship was fake. He also said that he did not reach out to the family during the time of grieving.
The scandal also involves actor Kim Soo-hyun, who faced backlash for his previous relations with the Bloodhounds actress. He was accused of dating the late actress when in 2015 when she was 15 years old. Kim Soo-hyun and his agency, Gold Medalist, denied all allegations made by the actress's family.
After the family started releasing old photographs, video clips, and chat screenshots of Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun via Garosero YouTube channel, the actor admitted to dating. However, Kim Soo-hyun stated that he dated the late actress when she became an adult in 2019.
Amidst ongoing controversy, Kim Soo-hyun lost his brand endorsement deals with PRADA, Eider, Jo Malone London, China CUCKOO, DINTO, and more. Other brands like Homeplus, Jeju Air removed his ads from their online platforms.
Meanwhile, Kim Soo-hyun has filed a lawsuit against the Bloodhounds actress's family, seeking 12 billion KRW(around $8.4 million) in damages for defamation.
