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| Girl group Momoland's former member Daisy has accused the group's agency MLD Entertainment of manipulating the member selection process on its 2016 audition show "Finding Momoland." Korea Times file |
By Lee Gyu-lee
K-pop girl group Momoland's agency MLD Entertainment said Tuesday it is taking legal action against former member Daisy for falsely accusing it of manipulating the member selection process.
The dispute between the singer and the agency erupted when rapper Daisy claimed the group's survival show "Finding Momoland" was fraudulent. The show aired on Mnet in 2016 and featured the agency's 10 trainees who competed to make their debut as Momoland. The finalists were selected on the basis of viewers' votes.
In an interview with national broadcaster KBS Tuesday, she said the agency and Mnet deceived viewers by manipulating the votes. She revealed she was contacted by the agency to join the group even after she was eliminated in the final round.
"The agency told me not to worry because they have a plan," she said.
The singer claimed the agency collected money to back the program's production cost from the group's members.
The agency released a statement shortly after the interview aired, rejecting Daisy's accusation. It said the finalists failed to attract a minimum of 3,000 audience votes to make their debut, thus the show's debut project fell through.
"Our CEO saw the potential in Daisy and offered for her to remain with our agency," the statement said.
It further stated that the show's production cost was collected based on a legal agreement approved by group members and their parents.
"Daisy's mother has been making threats to the agency regarding this issue and has taken a malicious stand when we didn't respond to it," the statement said. "We have solid proof to invalidate the accusation and will respond accordingly with legal procedures."
The nine-member girl group debuted in 2016 and shot to stardom in 2018 with the hit song "BBoom BBoom." After Daisy, Taeha and Yeonwoo left last year, the team has been performing as six members. Its latest album is "Thumbs Up," which was released last week.
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| Momoland members pose for pictures during the showcase for the new album "Thumbs Up" at Blue Square in Seoul last Monday. Korea Times file |
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