10 years ago, in September 2014, Jessica Jung announced her departure from Girls’ Generation. Understand the controversy that shook K-pop!
10 years ago, the K-pop industry was surprised by the announcement of the departure of Jessica Jung by Girls’ Generation. The girl group, formed in 2007 by SM Entertainment, is considered to this day as one of the main female groups in South Korean pop.
Although a decade has passed since the emblematic event, the singer’s departure from the group is still shrouded in mystery and theories, with different versions presented by the idol and the company. But don’t worry, RECREIO explains everything!
Why did Jessica Jung leave Girls’ Generation?
First of all, it is necessary to remember that 2014 was a year full of controversies for Girls’ Generation, including the loss of the original MV for “Mr. Mr.”, as well as dating rumors involving Yuri, Tiffany, Taeyeon and Sooyoung.
Despite this, the group remained in a great phase, with all nine members renewing their contracts for another three years, a new comeback in sight, in addition to shows scheduled at the Tokyo Dome, in Japan, for more than 50 thousand people.
In August of the same year, Jessica announced the launch of its own clothing and accessories brand, Blanc, known today as Blanc & Eclare. Despite having received support from SM and the members themselves, a month later, SONEs would receive the news they least expected.
On September 30th, Jung announced via her Weibo page that she had received a notice sent by SM Entertainment announcing that she was no longer part of the group.
In the post, the singer wrote that she “was excited about our upcoming fan events only to be shockingly informed by my company and the other 8 [integrantes] that as of today, I am no longer a member. I am devastated — my priority and love is to serve as a member of the GG, but for no justifiable reason, I am being forced to leave.”
Shortly after her statement, SM also issued a note, denying the information revealed by the artist, stating that the decision to leave the group came from Jessica “suddenly”.
“Despite Jessica’s sudden warning, the agency and Girls’ Generation members did the best they could and tried to figure out a way for Girls’ Generation’s activities to continue in the best direction possible,” the statement said (via Today Online). “However, amid insufficient clear negotiations over conflicting differences in priorities and interests, Jessica started her fashion business. Because of this, despite ongoing talks, it reached a point where the team could no longer be maintained.”
In other statements, as reported by the K4us portal, Jessica Jung also stated that, in meetings held at the beginning of September, she had been asked to choose between the group or her fashion brand: “I explained that I had received permission from the company, that I never neglected activities with Girls’ Generation, and that I couldn’t simply end the brand after just one month of launching it,” he said.
Since then, countless other theories about what really happened have circulated the internet, where fans accuse SM of not accepting that the brand Jessica became so famous, and there were even rumors of a possible fight between the members. However, none of this information has been confirmed.
Following the announcement of her departure from Girls’ Generation, Jung went on hiatus for “personal reasons,” according to SM Entertainment. Almost a year later, in August 2015, it was confirmed that the singer had ended her exclusive contract with the company. Since then, Jessica He continued his career as a soloist, in addition to continuing to invest in Blanc & Eclare, which became a global success with stores in several countries.
In 2023, during an appearance on the podcast “The Daily Ketchup”, Jessica Jung He recalled the moment he left the group, which he said was “one of the darkest periods of my life”.
“You know, I try to leave the past behind, and I always try to look at the brighter things, the brighter side. Of course that time was one of the darkest times of my life, one of the darkest periods of my life, but I had my family and friends to really support me, and my fans were always there. I didn’t feel alone and I felt like it was a good transition period and a good time to grow,” said the idol.
Check out the full interview!
What were the reasons for Jessica Jung to leave Girls’ Generation?
Jessica Jung left Girls’ Generation after receiving a notice from SM Entertainment stating that she was no longer part of the group. While Jessica stated that she was forced to leave without justifiable reason, the company stated that the decision came from the singer suddenly, due to conflicting differences in priorities and interests, especially related to the launch of her fashion brand, Blanc & Eclare.
What was SM’s reaction to Jessica’s departure?
SM Entertainment issued a statement denying the version presented by Jessica Jung, stating that the decision to leave the group came from the singer suddenly. The company mentioned that, despite attempts to find a solution to maintain Girls’ Generation’s activities, differences in priorities and interests, especially related to Jessica’s fashion business, led to the singer’s departure from the group.
How did Jessica Jung pursue her career after leaving Girls’ Generation?
After leaving Girls’ Generation, Jessica Jung went on hiatus for personal reasons and later ended her exclusive contract with SM Entertainment. She pursued her career as a soloist and continued investing in her fashion brand, Blanc & Eclare, which became a global success with stores in several countries.
Source: Recreio
