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On May 28, 2025, a now-viral podcast clip turned the spotlight on the Burning Sun scandal with new, startling claims. In a recent episode of Above the Influence, one of the hosts, named Michelle Kira Lee, said she once dated former BIGBANG member T.O.P.
Her claims, however, went beyond a past relationship. She alleged that the K-pop group's management company (YG Entertainment) selected then-member Seungri to take the blame for the entire 2019 Burning Sun scandal because he was the "least popular" among them.
"So this was three and a half, four years ago. In between my, like, second long-term relationship and my current, I ended up meeting T.O.P from BIGBANG... The Burning Sun scandal was, like, this huge scandal in Korea... And then BIGBANG was caught up in the controversy because Seungri was the one that took the fall," Michelle claimed.
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She continued:
"So then he went to jail. Like, he just straight-up got canceled, went to jail. But the rest of the BIGBANG members were still, like, kind of active at the time. "
Kira then went on to say that, according to what she allegedly heard from T.O.P, the company made a collective decision to have Seungri accept full responsibility for the scandal in exchange for a payout. She further claimed that all members were somehow involved in the Burning Sun scandal, but Seungri was the one who had to face the legal consequences.
According to her, Seungri’s career at the time was apparently not considered essential, making him an easy target for damage control. Recalling her alleged conversation with T.O.P, Michelle continued:
"'Because he was the least popular one of the group, our management company collectively decided that he should take the fall. Even though we were all kind of involved in it, he should take the fall.' And then they paid him out to go to jail."
She added:
"Like, 'hey, like, since your career wasn't, like, that great anyway, how about you take all the blame for this? Go to jail for a few years, but when you come out, we'll give you a good payout.'"
These claims have reignited online discussions around the 2019 Burning Sun scandal, which involved a club in Gangnam, Seoul. It started with an incident of violence against a man trying to help a woman at the club, which then led to a sweeping investigation. The probe uncovered a network of crimes, including pr*stitution services, illegal filming, embezzlement, and bribery.
Seungri, a co-owner of the club, was eventually convicted on multiple charges and served 18 months in prison before his release in 2023.
Meanwhile, clips of the recent podcast episode quickly spread across social media, where netizens expressed disbelief, anger, and skepticism. Many questioned the credibility of Kira’s story, especially considering no other BIGBANG member besides Seungri was formally charged. Some pointed out the lack of proof and suggested this could lead to a defamation suit against her. An X user wrote,
"These are serious allegations to make they will definitely be getting sued or something."
As the claims went viral, users flooded the internet with their reactions. Some accused the podcast team of exploiting a sensitive chapter in K-pop history. Others slammed the idea that such serious allegations involving the Burning Sun scandal were shared so casually in a public setting.
"Idc if this is true but this situation is literally so dumb because true or not they know they can be sued of everything they got by the ppl they’re talking about right? and if not true, it’s even more dumb bec you’re making up bedtime stories of involving public figures to crime," one X user said.
"That is serious accusations against all of the bigbang members. she's basically saying they're all in the burning sun crime but paid seungri only to take the fall?? if it was true, who would be dvmb enough to tell this on a podcast?" another user added.
"Not her trying to paint f**ka** seungri as a victim ???" a person tweeted.
"Involved with assaulters, knew a story about the scandal, being disrespectful to women by saying they're practically can be bought by filthy rich dudes. ALL THOSE WITH unbothered tone & call it a good story???????? she's either a pick me girl or making stuff up," another netizen mentioned.
Several users also emphasized that the other members, except Seungri, were enlisted in the military when most of the scandal unfolded, casting further doubt on the “everyone was involved” narrative.
"Burning sun club was opened when other BIGBANG members were in military. Only Seungri was active and everything happened during that time. Only Seungri was the face of that club, he used go there a lot. And saying TOP told her is insane. These people need to be sued and jailed!" one netized noted.
"Burning sun scandal is not just a topic for your podcast for sh*ts and giggles. It’s a big crime that ruined the lives of many women so for these people to talk about it and treat it as a 'gossip' is outrageous. I hope you all get sued," an X user commented.
"Isn't this defamation? Why is she involving all the BB members in the burning sun scandal when in fact, SR was the only charged & convicted. She contradicts the court rulings. LOL! I hope she gets sued! She just casually named dropped TOP. Girl... why you lying," another user remarked.
About the Burning Sun case, podcast origins, and more
The Burning Sun scandal shook the South Korean entertainment world in 2019, when what began as a report of a physical altercation quickly spiraled into a massive investigation.
Seungri, who was once one of K-pop’s most prominent idols, was found guilty on nine different charges, including pr*stitution mediation, embezzlement, and habitual gambling. The scandal pulled in other South Korean celebrities as well, with some leaving the industry entirely after related chatroom evidence surfaced.
Kira’s claim that Seungri was “paid to go to jail” comes at a time when discussions about idol accountability, legal justice, and media ethics remain tense. She, however, did not offer any documents, messages, or recordings to support her version of events. Meanwhile, at the time of writing this article, neither T.O.P nor YG Entertainment has responded publicly to the now-viral podcast episode.
The podcast itself, called Above the Influence, has gained a reputation for controversial conversations. It is hosted by content creators Wootak Kim, Michelle Kira Lee, Jordan, and Esther. Meanwhile, the same episode has also drawn criticism for the mention of BLACKPINK’s Jennie in an unverified claim.
The claim was regarding a private video of the singer with an alleged heir of BMW. However, that story, narrated by host Wootak, has also been widely discredited.
While it’s unclear whether any formal steps will be taken by the celebrities named, netizens demand accountability and urge legal action against what they view as reckless slander regarding the Burning Sun scandal.
