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| Photo: Screenshot from the YouTube channel ‘Study King: Real Genius Hong Jin-kyung’ |
[Sports Today reporter Lim Si-ryeong] TV personality Hong Jin-kyung’s daughter, Lael, broke down in tears after a wave of abusive comments followed a controversy over retouched photos.
On the 26th, the YouTube channel ‘Study King: Real Genius Hong Jin-kyung’ uploaded a video titled “Hong Jin-kyung’s daughter Lael, who deleted TikTok and disappeared, gives her first explanation on the retouching controversy.”
In the video, Hong sits across the table from her daughter. When Lael turned away from the camera, she said she didn’t like having her face posted on YouTube.
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Hong pressed her daughter, asking why she kept appearing on TikTok and pointing out that TikTok posts were being picked up by other creators and uploaded across YouTube. Lael said she hadn’t expected the situation to blow up the way it did.
Hong referenced the retouching controversy, saying the before-and-after images were so stark that they created a jarring disconnect for viewers.
Lael defended herself, saying, “Every woman looks different without makeup. The face that went out on YouTube was my bare face—I hadn’t done anything to it. Of course someone can look different with makeup.”
Lael then began to cry and added that she had received a lot of hateful comments. She explained, “TikTok has filters. I only retouched photos there; I didn’t edit the videos. Aren’t filters meant to be used?”
Hong recalled that stories poured in the next morning, and that some reports even exaggerated changes to Lael’s body size. Lael replied, “Of course I edited it.”
Hong said Lael has deleted her TikTok account and apologized, telling her daughter she was sorry that Lael could no longer live a normal life and do ordinary things. She urged caution on social media and advised Lael to seek joy in other ways.
[Sports Today reporter Lim Si-ryeong ent@stoo.com]
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