The production company behind “ToGetHer”, South Korea’s first reality show featuring lesbian dating on Wavve, has issued a statement in response to repeated controversies involving cast members.
On May 1st, the production company Display Company stated, “We sincerely apologize for the concern caused by the various recent issues related to the program.”
Recently, suspicions arose that cast member Riwon was a former adult broadcast BJ (a streamer who performs sexually suggestive acts) and had previously dated men, identifying as heterosexual. In response, Riwon acknowledged her BJ activities and past heterosexual relationships but asserted, “My sexual orientation is homosexual, and I am preparing legal action after receiving death threats from an ex-boyfriend.”
Amid this, another cast member, Hangyeol, revealed that Riwon had made an inappropriate overseas travel proposal to her, further fueling the controversy. Riwon has denied the allegation, calling it “groundless.”
Due to these recurring issues, the production company stated, “There are rumors spreading, particularly on online communities and certain media outlets, claiming that the producers allowed the cast member to appear despite knowing about her past. We affirm that the production team did not cast anyone through inappropriate planning, with specific intentions, or via improper channels.”
They further explained that internally, suspicions about the cast member’s past broadcast activities had already been raised. “We reviewed and verified the materials presented as evidence of the allegations. At the time, the materials were found to be unrelated to the cast member in question. During an interview, the cast member strongly denied the allegations, and thus we did not consider them factual. The recently released materials are newly acknowledged by the cast member and are unrelated to what was reviewed previously.”
Additionally, they stated, “There was a claim circulated via social media that the cast member proposed an overseas trip with inappropriate intent. This matter was discussed in a group meeting in early April right after the initial allegations surfaced. At the time, the individual in question strongly denied the claim.”
The production company emphasized, “In the absence of conclusive evidence, we can only rely on the cast member’s explanations and stance. To date, the matter is based on circumstantial assumptions without concrete proof. We do not want this to lead to increased negative public opinion. However, should definitive evidence emerge, we will respond strongly and take appropriate measures.”
Regarding future production plans, they said, “While we will maintain the program’s flow based on real events and emotions that occurred during filming, we also intend to sincerely take into account viewers’ diverse opinions and criticisms during the editing of upcoming episodes. We will aim to structure the content with maximum caution and balance, without distorting the narrative or emotions.”
They concluded by announcing, “To allow time for internal review and coordination, we will pause episodes 3 and 4, which were scheduled to be released on May 2nd, and take time to regroup.”
Source: (1)