[TW/CW: Mentions of bullying]
Former APRIL Lee Hyunjoo has addressed the allegations about her groupmates bullying her.
This past February, Hyunjoo's alleged brother made a post on an online community claiming that she left the group in 2016 because she was bullied by the other APRIL members. The girl group's agency, DSP Media, released multiple statements denying the accusations.
RELATED: User Claiming to be Former APRIL Hyunjoo's Brother Alleges She Was Bullied in the Group + Label Investigating the Facts
Hyunjoo's brother then made another post online refuting the statement of DSP Media. Following that, the agency announced that they will be taking legal action against former APRIL Hyunjoo and her family members.
Hyunjoo Releases Statement Concerning the Alleged Bullying Within APRIL
On April 18, Lee Hyunjoo personally issued a statement about the bullying allegations through her Instagram account.
In her statement, Hyunjoo shared that she was first afraid to talk about the situation, but she was able to gather courage from the people who support her, and so she finally addressed the issue. She also said she and her parents received messages from the parents of the perpetrators.
The former APRIL member continued that the bullying started in 2014 when she was 17 years old and preparing to make her debut, and she experienced it until 2016 when she parted ways from the group.
She eventually told her parents about her suffering, then her parents approached the CEO of DSP Media and discussed the matter.
However, she was repeatedly blamed for what happened.
READ MORE: APRIL Naeun Loses Over 200,000 Instagram Followers Following Bullying Controversy
Hyunjoo further stated that after the perpetrators found out about her telling her parents, who then told the CEO, they mistreated her even more. She shared that she was only allowed to call her parents for a short time and in front of their manager, which led her to feel she was becoming smaller and smaller.
Former APRIL Hyunjoo also shared that she suffered from violent behaviors, mockery, swearing, and harsh comments about her, as well as to her family. She claimed that her company was aware of this situation but they didn't do anything to resolve it.
The actress then mentioned her fellow APRIL members not feeling apologetic about what they did. And after she left the group, she said she continued to receive malicious comments, ridicule and was even called a traitor.
Despite this, she tried to live a life in a healthy state and full of positivity. However, she could still remember her suffering even after years have passed and it turned into a trauma.
ALSO READ: Anonymous Person Claiming to be APRIL Jinsol's Former Classmate Accuses the Idol of Bullying
Hyunjoo then stated that even if not everyone will be on good terms with her, bullying and violence is the answer to that. She continued that bullying and ostracism against anyone, anywhere in the world must be cleared out.
The former APRIL member went on to say that although she's still struggling with the trauma caused by the bullying even after seven years have passed, she believes she can recover and live a happy life. She then expressed her gratitude to the people who are giving her lots of support and strength during this difficult time.
Lee Hyunjoo also shared that all her activities have been halted in the meantime, and the agency cannot terminate her exclusive contract. The actress also said that she will respond to the lawsuit DSP Media has filed against her.
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Written by Mhaliya Scott
