Kim Gayoung exposes Stellar’s harsh industry treatment and agency’s manipulative tactics
Kim Gayoung is speaking out about the dark side of her time with girl group Stellar. The former idol revealed how the group was pushed into a sexualized image against their will by their agency, The Entertainment Pascal (formerly Top Class Entertainment).
Stellar debuted in 2011 with a cute concept, but after several failed singles like “Rocket Girl” and “UFO,” the agency forced a risky image change with their 2014 EP Marionette. The music video was rated 19+ for its provocative content, which shocked fans and the members themselves.
Gayoung says the group was tricked into filming sexually suggestive scenes without knowing how they’d be presented.
Kim Gayoung:
“There was one scene where a member had to drink milk. The script said, ‘Missing your past lover, Tossing and turning in bed, Wake up and drink milk.’ We simply thought that they wanted her to drink milk to portray a morning scene. The member drank the milk for the scene, but they apparently told her, ‘Spill the milk while drinking.’ She thought that she was spilling it to show that the character had no strength, but we were shocked when we read the comments that said, ‘This scene can make you imagine a certain act’. The member who filmed it was only 20 years old at the time, and she was so shocked that she can’t drink white milk to this day. She was hurt a lot. No one knew that was [the purpose of the scene].”
The group attempted to shift away from sexy concepts, but their songs didn’t perform well. The agency doubled down, forcing them back into provocative concepts like “Vibrato” with risqué outfits, despite the members’ resistance.
Kim Gayoung:
“During ‘Vibrato’, they all of a sudden told us that day to dance in the outfits. We told them, ‘We can’t dance in these.’ They responded, ‘Just try it. Why do you say no before even trying it.’ We shot about 5 photos with it, and we told them, ‘Look, it’s too much.’ They seemed to agree and told us to change, but those photos were released. When we saw those photos, we called them to argue. They brushed it aside saying, ‘Oh, you didn’t know? Okay sorry, we won’t do it again.’ But the photos were already released so there was nothing we can do. I think they knew that the members were all too kind and soft.”
Gayoung also revealed how poorly they were treated physically and financially, recalling times when the four members only had one meal to share among themselves.
The psychological damage lingered long after she left Stellar in 2017. Gayoung appeared on MBN’s Miss Back in 2020 opening up about surviving relentless hate and sexual harassment, even after her departure.
Kim Gayoung:
“I still get photos of genitals and messages asking me if I’m interested in being ‘sponsored.’”
The trauma has affected her daily life, including her fashion choices.
Kim Gayoung:
“I’m traumatized from only wearing short things during my time with Stellar. So I only wear long things even in the middle of summer. I hate people seeing my legs.”
She briefly ran a cafe called “Hartogela” in Itaewon but has since closed it. Gayoung’s outspoken testimony sheds light on the ongoing struggles idols face behind K-pop’s polished image.
