Scandal Erupts on Wavve’s ‘ToGetHer’: Controversy Surrounds Prominent Contestant

Wavve’s groundbreaking lesbian dating reality show, ‘ToGetHer’, initially made waves with its premiere episodes on April 25. As the first of its kind in South Korea, the show quickly dominated real-time trends on X (formerly Twitter) and topped the platform’s subscriber growth between Friday and Sunday, securing its spot as Wavve’s most successful new release of the season.

Filmed in Jeju Island, the ‘Together House’ saw the coming together of women who openly shared their experiences as lesbians, capturing viewers with candid storytelling and raw emotion. Among them was Kim Ri-won, who stood out from the beginning for acting almost like an MC — initiating conversations and energizing the cast through games and shared moments.

However, that spotlight quickly turned harsh. It was revealed that Kim previously worked as an adult broadcasting BJ, sparking doubt over her gender identity and intentions. This led to a social media firestorm and intense scrutiny from audiences and castmates alike.

Kim responded via social media, stating she had engaged in personal broadcasting for approximately three years, all without physical contact and strictly involving meals. She clarified, “I have loved women since middle school and seriously dated a woman for two and a half years.” She admitted to once dating a man in a period of denial and explained that her appearance on the show was a form of “coming out” on her terms, inspired by previous trauma and outing threats from an ex-partner.

Controversy escalated further when fellow contestant Hangyeol alleged that Kim made inappropriate romantic advances off-camera, despite no emotional connection during the show. Hangyeol claimed she rejected Kim’s suggestions for travel and dining dates, which crossed the boundaries of friendship, and revealed similar offers were made to others. She criticized the exploitation of sexual orientation to elicit sympathy and gain audience trust.

Kim denied these accusations and shared parts of message exchanges, which unintentionally drew another name into the scandal — Choi Si-hoon. A blurred chat screenshot allegedly showed his name and identified him as singer ‘Ailee’s husband,’ fueling more speculation. Kim emphasized that he never made business proposals and had simply offered career advice.

Choi Si-hoon’s team commented they would release a statement after returning from his honeymoon, as further developments are expected to unfold.

This unraveling drama threatens to overshadow what aimed to be a turning point in LGBTQ+ representation on Korean reality TV. With social discourse increasingly influenced by digital revelations, the trajectory of ‘ToGetHer’ presents both a cautionary tale and an evolving narrative of a community still fighting for honest visibility.