A fan of Jessi was allegedly assaulted after asking the rapper for a photo.
According to reports on October 11, the 18-year-old victim claimed that on the early morning of September 29, he approached Jessi to ask for a photo while she and her acquaintances were in an alley in Apgujeong, Seoul. The alleged victim claimed a male member of Jessi's party blocked him and swore at him in English, and Jessi intervened, apologized, and declined the photo request.
However, according to the victim, another man approached and suddenly assaulted him, hitting him in the face and kicking him, just as he was about to leave. Surveillance footage showed Jessi's party separated the assailant from the victim and attempted to stop the fight. The victim reported that while Jessi seemed to be intervening at first, she then retreated and disappeared. It was also noted the rest of the group left the scene while the victim was reporting the incident to the police.
The informant expressed, "Someone was being hit, and I don't know if Jessi ran away to avoid involvement, but I was really let down. Even in the video, she just stood by, and as a fan, it was quite disappointing." After hearing the victim's account, police found Jessi and her party at a bar nearby, but the assailant was not present. Reports indicated that Jessi and her group claimed they did not know the whereabouts of the man.
On the day of the incident, the victim's mother visited Jessi's agency and learned that the assailant was not connected to Jessi but was a Chinese acquaintance of a producer close to her. For about 10 days following the incident, there was no news from the police or the agency.
On October 10, the victim returned to the police station, where officers reported they had yet to identify the assailant. That morning, the informant received a message from the producer, stating, "Jessi doesn’t know the person who assaulted you and is not involved in this matter. You shouldn't contact Jessi or her side to threaten them." The victim further clarified he had never directly threatened Jessi or contacted her.
A lawyer for Jessi's label told JTBC, "Jessi had no involvement in the assault incident," and added, "The assailant and Jessi met for the first time that day. If the victim sees Jessi and the assailant as part of the same group, we will consider how to address that on a moral basis." Additionally, the Gangnam Police Station stated, "We had no choice but to contact the producer who was with them to ascertain the assailant's identity. We have requested the producer to appear, and they are scheduled to do so next week."
The victim is said to be experiencing significant psychological distress and is hoping for the assailant's arrest. Jessi's agency is also considering a moral resolution through discussions with the victim's side.
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