JYP Entertainment Denies School Bullying Allegations Against ITZY's Lia

JYP Entertainment has released an official statement denying the recent accusations of ITZY’s Lia being a perpetrator of school bullying.

Read the agency’s statement below:

Hello. This is JYP Entertainment.

We share our position regarding the online post that is causing speculations about our artist Lia.

This is a case in which we sued the writer of the post last year for defamation by spreading false rumors. We inform you that the investigation on this case is ongoing and that we are awaiting the results according to formal legal procedures.

This matter is completely false, and we relay our plans to push further charges regarding the matter and also take strong legal action against any deeds that defame our artists and cause disruption to their promotions through such things like malicious comments and spreading false rumors.

On February 24, a post was uploaded to an online forum by someone claiming to be a victim of school violence perpetrated by “a female idol who was born in 2000 and has straight shoulders” in middle school.

The writer (henceforth referred to as “A”) stated that the perpetrator had borrowed money from A’s classmate (henceforth referred to as “B”) and did not return the money afterwards. Regarding another friend who was in the same class as the perpetrator (henceforth referred to as “C”), A wrote that the perpetrator made her an outcast and made her break up with her boyfriend. A explained that when she asked the perpetrator why she hadn’t returned B’s money and made C an outcast, the perpetrator and her group of friends cursed at her.

A wrote that the perpetrator and her group of friends continued to come to her class to curse at her and posted on social media about A falsely accusing her, creating rumors about A. A explained that in April 2018, she had heard the perpetrator would be debuting under a big agency soon, and when she wrote an accusatory post on an online community at the time, she was sued for defamation.

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