Ian, a member of SM Entertainment's new girl group, Hearts2Hearts, has been hit with allegations of school bullying just days after debuting.
The accusations were first shared on social media by an anonymous person claiming to be the K-pop idol's former classmate. In the post, it was alleged that Ian had engaged in school violence and bullying during her elementary and middle school years. Some incidents she was allegedly involved in included throwing a rock at a boy, breaking a fish tank, and flooding the first floor of the school.
When news about her incident with the boy reached her parents, Ian's mother allegedly "flipped the teachers' office upside down" and forced the mom of the boy to make the student kneel and apologize.
"You probably don't know this, but our entire grade—upper and lower classmates—still remembers that incident. The rumor even spread to the high schools our seniors went to," the post read.
The post further alleged that Ian and her friends had bad-mouthed and sexually harassed teachers during middle school. No further information about these incidents was provided.
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Adding fuel to the fire, another user claiming to be Ian's classmate corroborated the allegations. The user also shared pre-debut images of Ian as evidence, as well as screenshots of photographs that the idol herself allegedly sent to a chatroom.
The timing of the allegations is particularly damaging for the eight-member group Hearts2Hearts, which launched its highly anticipated debut album, The Chase, on Feb. 24. Prior to the claims, Ian had been gaining attention for her visuals, with many comparing her to ITZY's Yuna and Red Velvet's Irene. It was even rumored that she was being promoted to the group's "visual center."
As of Wednesday, SM Entertainment has yet to respond to the allegations. It is unclear how the allegations would affect the group's activities.
