Famous K-pop Idol Exposes a Famous CEO’s Shocking Offer: “Be My Girlfriend, I’ll Make You a Star”

Former Girls’ Day member Jang Hye-ri has opened up about receiving a sponsorship proposal early in her career.

On March 3, a video titled “[Non Non Non] You Got Wrecked After Drinking?” was uploaded to the YouTube channel Channel Fixed (채널고정해), where Jang Hye-ri candidly shared a shocking experience from her rookie days.

During a discussion about inappropriate propositions at industry gatherings, she revealed, “When I was a rookie, I attended one of those gatherings once. A very well-known CEO was there. He invited male rookies to sing and perform, but then he made me an offer.”

She continued, “He told me, ‘I’ll make you a star, but in return, you have to be my girlfriend.’”

Jang Hye-ri was taken aback but firmly declined. However, the CEO tried to persuade her by referencing other female celebrities he had supposedly helped rise to fame through similar arrangements.

“He even listed women who had accepted his proposal, saying, ‘She did it, and so did she. I can do the same for you,’” she recalled. “I was young at the time, and it really hurt my pride. That’s when I told myself, I need to succeed without resorting to this.”

Even after rejecting the offer, she continued to run into the CEO in the industry. “Every time I greeted him, he would say, ‘See? You didn’t take my offer, and that’s why you’re still not famous.’”

Jang Hye-ri’s Journey Post-Girls’ Day

Jang Hye-ri was an original member of Girls’ Day before leaving the group. Since then, she has pursued a career in trot music, continuing to carve her own path in the entertainment industry.