Beef” Creators and Stars Respond to Backlash Over Casting of David Choe and Commit to Creating a Safe and Inclusive Environment

On Friday, the creator and stars of the Netflix show “Beef” released a statement to Variety in response to backlash the show has received for casting artist David Choe in one of its main roles. The controversy began when a 2014 clip of Choe resurfaced, in which he very graphically detailed how he aggressively coerced a woman into a sexual act.

The statement from Lee Sung Jin, Steven Yeun, and Ali Wong acknowledged that Choe had apologized for making up the story and that he had gotten mental health support over the last decade to better himself. They also said that they had seen him put in the work to learn from his mistakes.

Many social media users said they stopped watching “Beef” after Choe’s story was brought to light. The statement from the show’s creators and stars said that they “take seriously the responsibility of telling stories that reflect the world we live in” and that they “are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment on all of our projects.”

The statement concluded by saying that they “are continuing to listen and learn and will use this experience to be better moving forward.”

The controversy surrounding Choe’s comments has sparked a larger conversation about the responsibility of creators and stars to ensure that their projects reflect the world we live in and create a safe and inclusive environment. It remains to be seen how the show’s creators and stars will use this experience to be better moving forward.