'Single's Inferno 4' star Lee Si-an faces legal dispute with agency for alleged breach of contract
Lee Si-an, one of the participants in the fourth installment of the hit Netflix series Single's Inferno, is facing a legal dispute after allegedly violating her exclusive contract with her agency, Leaders Entertainment.
The agency disclosed in a statement that the South Korean model and former K-pop trainee had allegedly breached her exclusive contract and other agreements after filming the series.
"We began discussions in April 2024 regarding Lee Si An's participation in 'Single's Inferno 4' and drafted an annex agreement to extend her exclusive contract with us," it said.
The original contract, set to expire in October 2024, was extended by an additional one and a half years. The agency notes that this decision was made following comprehensive discussions with Lee and her family to ensure they fully understood the terms of the amended agreement.
Despite initially agreeing to participate in Single's Inferno 4 in June 2024, Lee unexpectedly informed Leaders in August of her decision to terminate her contract following the conclusion of filming. This decision was formally communicated by her representative on October 21, 2024. The agency believed she did this without a valid reason.
It added, "Lee Si-an's objections regarding the exclusive contract are clearly unfounded. Since the establishment of Leaders, all contracts related to filming have been signed under the name of the Leaders representative, and in this process, Lee Si-an has made not only written consent but also substantive agreements."
Although the agency emphasized their support for Lee and the "meaningful growth opportunity" she would gain by participating in the series, they believed that her sudden decision to halt her contract was an attempt to deceive both the company and the show's producers.
"We believed that participating in Single's Inferno 4 would provide [Lee Si-an] with a meaningful growth opportunity, and we did our best to support and negotiate on her behalf. However, after the appearance, her sudden decision to disregard the contract and unilaterally stop her activities is an act of deception against both the company and the program's production team," it said.
Prior to her stint at Single's Inferno 4, Lee gained prominence as one of the contestants on the survival show Idol School in 2017. She ranked 16th in the finale.
A year later, she participated in the hit survival show Produce 48, where she was eliminated in episode 11 and finished 30th.
In 2022, she entered the modeling industry and worked with notable brands such as Samsung Galaxy, FILA, New Balance, and COSRX, among others. After a year, she was managed by Leaders Entertainment.
Singles Inferno 4 premiered on Jan. 14 with new episodes released every Tuesday.
