Netflix’s hit series Beef has courted new controversy thanks to its actor David Choe. Nine years ago Choe made offensive comments about rape on a podcast and even though he issued an apology later, it has come back to haunt him. Now, the show’s executive producers, including its creator, Lee Sung Jin, as well as leads Ali Wong and Steven Yeun, are acknowledging the controversy with a statement released to an online portal.
The statement reads, “The story David Choe fabricated nine years ago is undeniably hurtful and extremely disturbing. We do not condone this story in any way, and we understand why this has been so upsetting and triggering. We're aware David has apologized in the past for making up this horrific story, and we've seen him put in the work to get the mental health support he needed over the last decade to better himself and learn from his mistakes.”
The series brought Choe into limelight and his 2014 comments on his now-defunct podcast, DVDASA also resurfaced. In it he had recounted an interaction he had with a masseuse, in which he coerced her into a nonconsensual sexual act. After the podcast received tremendous backlash, he had released a long statement and said, “I am truly sorry for the negative words and dark messages I had put out into the world. I relayed a story simply for shock value that made it seem as if I had sexually violated a woman. Though I said those words, I did not commit those actions. It did not happen.” He emphasized that it wasn’t a true story.
Choe is an actor and artist and has worked in other TV shows such as Better Things, Vice, The Mandalorian, and Ugly Delicious. He also starred in FX’s The Choe Show, in which he sat down with celebrities to paint their portraits and chat.
(Source: Vanity Fair)
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