Former APRIL member Hyunjoo and family cleared of all 7 defamation charges
The K-pop group APRIL disbanded in January 2022 but its members are still facing repercussions thanks to the nasty feud that led to their break up. The back and forth between members Lee Hyunjoo and Kim Chaewon has finally come to a sudden conclusion as it was announced that Hyunjoo and her family were released of all seven defamation charges that DSP media and Chaewon filed against them.
On February 23, Hyunjoo’s legal representative revealed that the police had dropped all charges against the former APRIL member, her family who spoke up about Hyunjoo being bullied while being a part of APRIL, as well as her friends who were involved in the controversy. Back in 2021, member Naeun was first falsely accused of school bullying. Around the same time, Lee Hyunjoo, who had already left the group, revealed that she was bullied by Chaewon when she was in the group, which was the real reason for her exit.
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Hyunjoo’s side free of all defamation charges
While Hyunjoo and her brother accused Chaewon of bullying Hyunjoo publicly, the former also revealed in her statement that Chaewon had a breakup with her manager when APRIL was active. This resulted in Chaewon suing Hyunjoo and her family for defamation while other members of APRIL, like Yena, and DSP Media itself, also filed multiple lawsuits.
Now, it has been announced that the police have dropped all of the seven charges of defamation against Hyunjoo, as well as her family and friends. It was reported that the investigation that was conducted to determine whether the posts from Hyunjoo and her acquaintances contained ‘false rumors’ with ‘malicious intentions’ was inconclusive. As a result, the police have decided to drop all defamation charges against her.
Chaewon’s allegations against Hyunjoo
Upon the release of this statement, Hyunjoo’s legal representative announced that malicious attacks or false speculations directed towards Hyunjoo as well as her side will be faced with strict legal consequences. After APRIL’s unfortunate disbandment, member Chaewon also terminated her contract with DSP Media. Early in February, she came out with her statement revealing how she thinks she was treated unfairly by the police after her defamation case against Hyunjoo resulted in a ‘not guilty’ verdict.
Chaewon alleged that the police had unfairly overlooked her evidence and witnesses, and stated that she would continue to file an objection until she gets justice. With the way things are turning out, the future of APRIL's former members seems shaky. APRIL, who debuted in 2015, went on a hiatus for almost a year before announcing their disbandment in January 2022, after the expiration of their contracts.