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'Undeniably Hurtful': Controversy over David Choe prompts response from 'Beef' creators

'Beef' creators and co-stars stand by David Choe after a clip went viral on social media in which he can be seen saying disturbing things

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The creators and stars of Netflix’s hit series ‘Beef’ finally broke their silence and came out in support of co-star David Choe after clips of unsettling podcast discussion went viral on social media following the show’s debut on the aforementioned streaming platform. Creator Lee Sung Jin and co-stars Steven Yeun and Ali Wong released a joint statement in which they extended their support to Choe and noted that they have seen the work he has done to get the “mental health support” to better himself.

For the uninitiated, David Choe, who plays the role of Isaac in the latest Netflix series, found himself in a baffling controversy when the clips of his nine-year-old podcast discussion went viral on social media. In the viral clip, Choe can be seen discussing sexually assaulting a masseuse. In the 2014 video, Choe also went on to alternately call himself a “successful rapist” and conceded that his actions were “rapey behavior,” while denying that he was a rapist.

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His comments went viral in no time and Choe had to come out and say that the story he told on the podcast was absolutely fictional. His reputation took a serious dent and several social media users started calling out the other stars of the show to say something about Choe’s disturbing behavior. It seems they have finally heard what the fans were saying and released a statement in which they have extended their support to the actor mentioned above.

'Beef' creators extend support to David Choe

Sung Jin, Yeun, and Wong didn’t shy away from calling the incident “upsetting and triggering”. The trio also made it clear that they “do not condone this story in any way” and understand why people got so angry after the clips went viral on social media.

“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 statement read.

The statement comes a few days after social media users called out the creators and executive producers of the Netflix series for hiring Choe even when they knew about the 2014 incident.

Is 'Beef' worth watching?

‘Beef’ made its way to Netflix on April 6 and became a gigantic hit. The dark comedy produced by A24 follows two strangers who get into a road rage incident. The incident sets them on a path of mutual destruction and connects them over existential dread. The series currently holds a rating of 98% on the review site Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 8.3 on IMDb.