US Podcaster Makes Unverified $500,000 Prostitution Claims Against K-pop Star IU in Controversial Interview

K-pop fans faced shocking controversy on 28 May when explosive allegations surfaced against two of South Korea’s biggest female stars.

Blackpink’s Jennie and soloist IU were named in prostitution claims made during a US-based podcast.

The accusations came from Michelle Kira Lee, an entrepreneur and influencer who claims to have dated former BIGBANG member T.O.P.

She appeared on the Above The Influence podcast where she made disturbing allegations about “dark practices” within the K-pop industry.

Podcast Allegations Target Top Female K-Pop Idols in Elite Escort Claims

Kira alleged that female idols and top-tier celebrities engage in prostitution with wealthy businessmen and leading stars. She claimed anyone rich enough can approach entertainment companies and request spending a night with idols, including the biggest stars.

“Apparently, with every K-Pop, Korean celebrity, actress, there’s a price tag on their head and if you’re rich enough, a Chinese businessman — you can like, go to these entertainment companies and request spending a night, even with top K-Pop stars,” Kira stated during the podcast.

Kira used IU as an example while discussing pricing for such arrangements. She claimed spending a night with IU costs up to USD500,000 (~SGD675,000).

However, she provided no evidence of IU’s direct involvement and mentioned the soloist only as an “example” while discussing transactional relationships.

The podcast host Wootak supported these claims with his own alleged experience. He said he attended summer camp with “the son of the BMW heir” who allegedly paid to have sex with Jennie. Wootak claimed his friend showed him a video as “proof” of the encounter.

The original podcast video was released two months ago and later edited as bonus content for paid subscribers. It was not intended for wide distribution but has since sparked major controversy across social media platforms.

Burning Sun Scandal Revelations and Industry Backlash Over Unverified Claims

Kira also made explosive claims about the ongoing Burning Sun Scandal. She alleged that former BIGBANG member Seungri was chosen as a scapegoat because he was the “least popular member” of the group.

According to Kira, their management company collectively decided Seungri should take responsibility even though all group members were “involved.”

She claimed he was paid to go to jail, with the company telling him: “Since your career wasn’t that great anyway, how about you take all the blame, go to jail for a few years, and when you come out we’ll give you a good payout.”

Fans of both Jennie and IU flooded social media with angry reactions, calling out Kira’s unverified claims. Many demanded the two idols take legal action against Wootak and Kira for the allegations.

Wootak defended his podcast in Instagram stories, stating the allegations were presented as something he heard rather than personal claims.

He wrote: “I am not hating or attacking Jennie, simply telling a story I HEARD. It was not bashing but simply repeating it because the topic was how dark the K-pop industry can be.”

He added that anyone could find similar conspiracies about the K-pop industry with ten minutes of searching. Wootak apologized and said he would return to listening to Jennie’s single “Like Jennie” in retribution.

The podcast’s official Instagram account released a statement clarifying that the controversial discussion was uploaded as bonus content for paid subscribers.

Co-host Esther responded to backlash in a now-deleted Instagram story, writing: “Thanks for the concerns y’all! But don’t worry~ I don’t gaf about these crazy kpop Stans.”

Talk of K-pop idols having “sponsors” or wealthy individuals who exchange support for sex is not new.

In 2016, female idol G.NA was accused of having sex with an unnamed businessman for USD30,000 (~SGD40,500). She was charged with prostitution and forced to pay a fine.

Neither Jennie nor IU have responded to the allegations.