EXPLAINED: What is NCT member Lucas' ex-girlfriend scandal all about?

Lucas of the group NCT and WayV has stormed the industry with his charisma, and become one of the biggest K-pop idols. However, he was soon embroiled in myriad scandals where his ex-girlfriends accused him of cheating, leeching money, and gaslighting them.

Scandals in K-pop aren't uncommon. In the first half of this year, multiple bullying scandals surrounding K-pop and K-drama artists emerged, leading to some of the celebrities going on hiatus and some even losing their roles. Things died down for a while before Lucas' scandal hit the industry.

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How did Lucas' gaslighting scandal break out?

It all started on August 23 when a Korean netizen, claiming to be Lucas' ex-girlfriend, came forward with scathing allegations. The post gave others courage. Soon thereafter, a Chinese netizen also came forward with claims of Lucas' misbehavior.

The scandal grew and soon became the most talked-about thing in K-pop, given that NCT is one of the top idol groups with a massive fandom. On August 24, a third alleged victim came forward with allegations against Lucas.

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The first alleged victim

The first netizen is Twitter user @ooooshiiim. She uploaded a long thread explaining in detail her relationship with the idol. She said he showed interest in her first, started dating, sought expensive gifts, and then broke up, giving tough schedules as his excuse.

She even posted screenshots of their chats and hotel receipts, claiming that Lucas always wanted her to spend money. The reason given behind this was Lucas allegedly saying he did not want to use his own credit card as he might get caught.

However, things took a turn when fans claimed the evidence was fabricated. They took to Twitter to explain that the chats and voice notes are fake since they were lifted from his Bubble account.

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The second alleged victim

The second alleged victim, a Chinese netizen, alleged Lucas was manipulating her to buy branded clothes. She posted receipts, chat screenshots, and photos of him wearing the clothing to back up her claims.

She also alleged that he broke up using the excuse of having a busy schedule. When she confronted her about him flirting with other girls, he denied doing so.

Screenshots posted by the second alleged victim

She also claimed that Lucas allegedly shared his true feelings regarding his group members, complaining that they don't listen to him and don't work hard. He even said that some members-only debuted because of their visuals, as alleged by her.

However, fans again turned into detectives and claimed the images had been photoshopped.

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The third alleged victim

Hours later, another Chinese netizen spoke up about Lucas' gaslighting situation, alleging to be his ex-girlfriend. Twitter account @p_note99 started by mentioning that she didn't want to bring it up as they ended the relationship on good terms. However, she realized that her experiences were similar to the original accuser and the timings collided, implying that Lucas was with both simultaneously.

She explained that she was a fan of NCT, and Lucas was the first celebrity she supported. She went to fansigns, wrote a letter, and did so after her friend implored her to reach out on Instagram and Weibo. She soon received messages from an alleged private account of Lucas.

According to the netizen, he opened up about his life during his trainee days, confessed that he feared getting caught by his agency, and even faked illness to not star in a variety show. Apparently, the show was edited in a way that would make him look like a fool.

She posted screenshots of spreadsheets, fanign receipts, flights, and hotel records, proving her timing overlapped with one of the other alleged victims.

After the original user allegedly exposed him, she posted screenshots claiming Lucas had called her multiple times since she went public with her claims.

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Lucas and SM Entertainment's official statement

While fans "debunked" these claims, they relied on SM Entertainment's official statement, preferably a defamation charge against the accusers. However, things took a different turn when SM Entertainment responded.

In their official statement on August 25, the agency apologized to the fans and said that Lucas would go on hiatus.

"Lucas is deeply reflecting on having caused great pain and disappointment due to his wrong behavior, and we also feel responsible for our poor management of the artist."

The company did not explicitly deny the allegations, souring the mood in the NCT fandom. Following the agency's statement, Lucas also released a handwritten apology, mentioning that he would "take time to reflect on himself" for his "irresponsible behavior" in the past.

Fans believe the apology letter was coerced. They also believe that Lucas has apologized for causing an inconvenience, but that does not mean he is admitting to the accusations.

So far, the scandal has left NCT's fanbase torn. There should be more clarity on the situation in the coming days. However, the group will likely have to take some heat on this matter.

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