Ali Wong, Steven Yeun, and Beef creator Lee Sung Jin have issued a statement addressing David Choe's controversial sexual assault story. The stars and creator behind the Netflix series have stepped up to defend Choe after the story he shared on his podcast resurfaced.
Back in 2014, David Choe shared a story on his DVDASA podcast where he allegedly engaged in "rapey behavior" with a masseuse. He later defended his story by claiming the podcast itself is essentially a work of fiction. Choe also apologized for the podcast comments and publicly denied any history of sexual assault or rape.
Since the success of Beef, the controversy has resurfaced and the cast and crew of the show decided to speak out about it. Ali Wong, Steven Yeun, and Lee Sung Jin issued a joint statement regarding David Choe's story (via Variety).
"The story David Choe fabricated nine years ago is undeniably hurtful and extremely disturbing. We do not condone this story in any way, and we understand why this has been so upsetting and triggering," the statement read.
"We’re aware David has apologized in the past for making up this horrific story, and we’ve seen him put in the work to get the mental health support he needed over the last decade to better himself and learn from his mistakes," it concludes.
For now, David Choe himself has not addressed the recent controversy. Stay tuned for more updates on this story.
Beef follows Amy (Ali Wong) and Danny (Steven Yeun), two strangers who get into a near accident at a parking lot. The encounter leads to the two engaging in escalating acts of revenge, even going as far as enlisting their own family and friends. Choe plays Danny's cousin who was recently released from prison.
Beef also features Joseph Lee, Young Mazino, Patti Yusatake, and Maria Bello. The series is now streaming on Netflix.
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