“We do not condone this story in any way”: Netflix’s Beef Stars Steven Yeun and Ali Wong Break Silence on Co-Star’s Disturbing Podcast With Adult Star
The ‘disturbing’ comments on his Podcast that David Choe made up in 2014 are now being addressed by his Beef co-stars. The 47-year-old actor faced criticism for an episode of his DVDASA podcast from March 2014 amid the popularity of the latest Netflix dramedy series, Beef.
The creator and stars of the well-liked Netflix series, Beef have now addressed criticism that has recently surfaced against their fellow cast member, David Choe. For the unversed, Choe was criticized for joking in a 2014 podcast interview that he was a “successful r*pist” during a massage.
Choe’s story was described as “undeniably hurtful and extremely disturbing” in a statement to Variety on Friday by Beef creator, Lee Sung Jin, and stars, Steven Yeun and Ali Wong. Additionally, they claimed that Choe “put in the work to get the mental health support he needed.”
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Steven Yeun And Ali Wong Denounced Their Beef Co-Star’s ‘Extremely Disturbing’ Podcast
The Ali Wong and Steven Yeun-starring series, Beef quickly gained popularity when it made its debut in the 2023 TV show lineup in early April. As of this writing, it is still listed among the streamer’s ‘Top 10 TV Shows’.
David Choe’s recent re-discovery of comments he had made about r*pe years ago has unfortunately cast a shadow over the success of the show. In response to the situation, Wong, Yeun, and Beef’s creator, Lee Sung Jin have now spoken out.
Beef executive producers, Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, as well as the show’s creator, Lee Sung Jin, responded to the controversy in a joint statement to Variety on Friday, saying:
“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. 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.”
The three were adamant that they “do not condone” David Choe’s remarks from 2014, but they also acknowledged his apology and the effort he has made to better himself and “learn from his mistakes”.
Meanwhile, Choe himself is silent on what his Beef co-stars and the show’s creator have said in response to the controversy.
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How Did the Controversy Start?
On the DVDASA podcast in 2014, David Choe had allegedly discussed s*xually assaulting a massage therapist and later referred to himself as a “successful r*pist” when podcast co-host, Asa Akira called his remarks out. This was where the controversy had begun.
There was a severe backlash at the time. He allegedly had stated that his podcast comments were “not a representation of my reality” and “not the place to come to for reliable information about me or my life” in 2014.
Choe later expressed regret in the sense of saying, “I’m sorry if anyone believed that the stories were facts.” He claimed that “bad storytelling in the style of douche” was the only thing for which he was “guilty”.
Beef is currently ranked number two on Netflix’s list of the top 10 TV shows in the United States, suggesting that viewers haven’t been deterred by the controversy from watching the program.
Moreover, fans are still talking about the show on its own merits, including the soundtrack’s retro songs.
Netflix released all Beef episodes on April 6, 2023.
Source – Vanity Fair; DVDASA Podcast
