Eleven trainees on the survival show Chuang 2021 have successfully made their debut as part of the new boy group INTO1 by popular vote. However, various controversies broke out in less than a week with accusations that include fake academic qualifications and dating rumors.
First placer Liu Yu (刘宇) who debuted as the center of INTO1 is said to have gained admission to the Communication University of China by ranking 3rd in the country as indicated on his Baidu profile. However, it was revealed that there is no such person in class which ignited speculation that Liu Yu may have lied about his academic background.
On April 30, INTO1 released an official statement saying, “Mr. Liu Yu has never studied at Communication University of China. He himself has clarified this several times in in public and during interviews with the media.” The company also emphasized that the information on Baidu Baike was not provided through official channels. They’ve repeatedly submitted a request to revise the details with their latest request still under review.
Meanwhile, Mika Hashizume (米卡) who was already part of the Japanese boy band INTERSECTION before joining Chuang 2021 and finishing in 4th place found his mom in hot water after netizens dug up an old post of someone cutting up Renminbi (China’s official currency) that she shared on Instagram a few years ago. His mom later issued a statement through an account countering Mika’s antis to explain that she merely reposted news she came across and wasn’t the one in the photo. She also issued an apology for sharing the photo and said that she will deactivate her Instagram account. On April 30, Mika made headlines due to rumors that he is secretly dating. There’s even a photo of Mika and the same girl who was rumored to be his GF earlier this year going around the internet.
While the dating rumors weren’t addressed, the statement from INTO1 touched upon the attention that INTO1 has received since the group debuted on April 24. They noticed that malicious individuals are slandering the members by disseminating false information and rumors. They will continue to monitor the information on the internet and also reserve the right to take legal action. A post was also made on INTO1’s official account that wrote, “watch out for a stomachache from eating too many melons…” (eating melons is a Chinese slang for people who feed on gossips without knowing the truth)
