South Korean Pop star Crush came under criticism for reportedly being racist toward his followers. A video of Crush reaching out to fans before pulling back went viral, and the person who shared the initial video on social media said that Crush withdrew his hand because of the person’s dark skin tone.
In response to the uproar, Crush issued an apology that said, “Hi everyone, I just wanted to address the issue revolving around the audience interaction from my performance last night at the 2022 Someday Pleroma Festival. I’ve been away for roughly two years and being able to perform on stage with my dearest fans in the audience was such an unforgettable and long-awaited experience, so I naturally and instinctively walked towards and reached down to the crowd.”
He added, “To avoid further misunderstanding, I would like to explain that I had to refrain from giving out high-fives with the fans in particular sections as a safety precaution, fans were getting too close to the fences, holding up the audience section and I saw that those in the front row were getting pushed against the fence so I made a quick judgment not to approach for the safety of fans. I sincerely apologise for the misunderstanding that my actions may have caused. I love each and every one of my fans, and I would never discriminate nor favour anyone.”
The fact that J-Hope, a member of BTS and a recent collaborator with Crush, liked the post infuriated many on social media, who did not accept this apology. Despite the fact that many ARMYs jumped to J-defense Hope’s and claimed that he didn’t deserve the reaction, others expressed their dissatisfaction. J-Hope and Crush have been good friends for many years and only recently released the song Rush Hour. J-Hope has not yet commented on the matter.