On Wednesday, August 28th, SM Entertainment shocked the K-Pop world with the announcement that NCT member Taeil, who debuted with the group back in 2016, would be officially removed from the team due to his connection to a sexual offense case.
SM posted an official statement to their social media which read,
“Hello, This is SM Entertainment.
The company has recently confirmed that member Taeil has been implicated in a criminal case related to a sexual offense. After verifying the facts related to this situation and recognizing the seriousness of the crime, we have determined that Taeil can no longer continue with NCT and his activities with the team. We have decided to remove Taeil from the group after internal discussions with him.”
The post garnered over 90 million views on SM Entertainment’s Twitter (X) account alone, leaving fans in utter shock and complete disbelief. In regards to the investigation, SM further stated that, “Currently, Taeil is sincerely cooperating with the police investigation, and we will make further statements depending on the progress of the investigation. We deeply apologize for the concern and trouble caused by our artist.”
SM엔터테인먼트입니다. pic.twitter.com/28XapiFuOk
— SMTOWN (@SMTOWNGLOBAL) August 28, 2024
After much commotion regarding this situation, fans are speculating the severity of the crime and even questioning why SM Entertainment didn’t “defend their artist” and “dropped him so quickly” compared to other members and artists with scandals from the past. Some fans defended the artist and even worry about the future of NCT where as others felt anger towards the situation and even provided “evidence” of what they think the sexual offense case is about. See the reactions below.
Credit: Twitter (X)
While the details and the severity of the sexual offense case are unknown, it appears it was enough for SM to cut ties and save their own skin.
What do you think of Taeil’s departure from SM Entertainment and NCT? Follow ZAPZEE and stay tuned for more updates.
The post ‘He can no longer continue with NCT,’ SM Removes Taeil From NCT After Sex Crime Allegations appeared first on ZAPZEE – Premier Korean Entertainment Magazine.