The year is barely into the second quarter, but the country’s entertainment industry is already riddled with scandals.


Clara’s war of words

Of the many controversies -- small and large -- to come out of the industry, the war of words with actress Clara and Lee Gyu-tae, chairman of her former agency Polaris Entertainment, is perhaps the most convoluted.

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Clara claimed she felt sexual humiliation due to Lee acting too familiar with, while Lee and the company accused her of violating contract conditions.

As the scandal unfolded, a recording of a conversation with the two revealed Lee indirectly threatened the actress, saying he could ruin her if she angered him.

In addition to issues involving Clara, Lee has been indicted in connection with corruption in the defense industry.


The Lee Tae-im-Yewon fight

Then came the squabble between actresses Lee Tae-im and Kim Ye-won, who is also known as Yewon.

Lee Tae-im (left) and Yewon. (OSEN)

Although the two have since made up, their run-in with each other continues to generate ripples a month after the incident.

Following the release of a video that was uploaded on YouTube, Yewon has come under increasing pressure to quit the popular MBC television show “We Got Married,” which puts celebrities in a mock marriage situation.

In their squabble, it was initially thought that Lee, 28, had picked on and sworn at the younger celebrity in a rant.

However, the recently released video showed otherwise.

Instead, Yewon is shown speaking to Lee in informal language that could been seen as discourteous.

In response, Lee berates Yewon with coarse language.

After Lee is guided away from the scene by production staff, Yewon is heard saying “that crazy bitch.”



Tae Jin-ah’s gambling nightmare

Singer Tae Jin-ah is embroiled in a scandal involving gambling.

(OSEN)

Sisa Journal USA reported March 17 that Tae spent a large amount of money playing baccarat in a VIP room at a casino in Los Angeles.

“He bet more than a thousand dollars at a time. It is very likely that he lost tens of million won, given the number of games he played and length of time,” the weekly magazine claimed in its reports.

The singer has refuted the report and accused the publication of attempting to extort money from him.

In turn, Sisa Journal USA accused the singer of distorting the truth and making false accusations.



By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)