Korean-American rapper Jessi (제시) is currently facing difficulties in her career. The superstar received significant backlash following her involvement in an assault case involving two men. According to initial reports and CCTV footage released by JTBC, a teenage fan approached Jessi for a selfie after she was spotted in public with her acquaintances. The singer politely declined his request, but just as he was leaving, one of her acquaintances began assaulting the young man.
The “Zoom” artist attempted to intervene to stop the altercation but was later seen leaving the scene, possibly out of concern for her own safety. Despite issuing an apology for the incident, her agency, DOD Entertainment, dropped her as one of their artists, and netizens have criticised the K-pop star for not assisting the victim. It was recently revealed that there was more to the story than what was reported. Here’s what actually happened:
The newly released unedited version of the CCTV footage from the night of the incident, which took place on 29th September, showed Jessi attempting to break up the altercation between the fan and an acquaintance she had met that same evening. The rapper moved closer to the conflict and even tried to separate the two men to prevent further harm. The 35-year-old left the scene after the situation de-escalated. This latest footage contradicts the viral clip previously released by JTBC, which showed the rapper leaving shortly after the fight intensified.
Following this revelation, fans took to Twitter to express their outrage over what happened. Many have been calling for the news station to apologise to the “Gum” artist for fabricating the story and editing the CCTV footage, which portrayed her in a negative light. Some have also pointed out that this is not the first time JTBC has spread false reports, claiming that the network is notorious for releasing edited and inaccurate information about actual incidents.
The last time this occurred was when BTS’ Suga (슈가) was accused of speeding down a busy road on an electric scooter while under the influence of alcohol. JTBC later apologised for releasing the incorrect CCTV footage, but BTS fans felt the apology was insincere, as the reporter representing the company did not bow during the broadcast.
Meanwhile, it was also reported that Jessi had been cleared of all charges in the assault case. The Seoul Gangnam Police Precinct announced that it is dropping the case against the idol, citing insufficient evidence. As for the attacker, the singer has no connection to him whatsoever, as they had only met that evening. The assailant reportedly left Korea a few days after the incident. At the time of writing, there has been no statement from JTBC regarding the outrage over the edited CCTV footage. Whatever the case, we hope Jessi will be able to bounce back and entertain her fans once more soon.
Watch the newly-released viral clip below:
Sources: Twitter, TheStar, KoreaJoongAngDaily
