Prada has severed ties with South Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun, who is at the center of a quickly evolving controversy following the suicide of Kim Sae-Ron, an actress he was romantically involved with.
“It has been mutually decided to end the collaboration between Prada and Kim Soo Hyun,” Prada said in a brief statement.
The 37-year-old actor was named a Prada brand ambassador in January and attended the brand’s fall 2025 men’s ready-to-wear runway show in Milan.
The K-drama star, known for his roles in “Dream High” and “Moon Embracing the Sun,” counts over 20 million fans on Instagram.
Kim Soo Hyun’s reputation and fame took a dramatic hit this week when Hoverlab, a South Korean news commentary site on YouTube, claimed that the actor and Kim Sae-ron had been in a six-year relationship since the female Kim was 15 years old. To back up the claims, Hoverlab released photos showing Kim Soo Hyun kissing Kim Sae-ron on the cheek. The livestreamed programs attracted almost 4 million views on YouTube.
Kim Sae-ron, who began her career as a child actor, went on to gain industry recognition with her roles in films such as “The Man From Nowhere” and “The Neighbors.”
Her promising career took a turn in 2022 after a drunk driving incident, after which she struggled to find jobs and retreated from the public eye.
Kim Sae-ron’s last role was in the Netflix series “Bloodhounds.” However, her cameo has been edited out in the aftermath of the DUI conviction.
According to Hoverlab reports, Kim Sae-ron had to pay a 700 million won, or $481,000, fine to compensate affected parties after the accident, which she allegedly borrowed from Gold Medalist. However, she was allegedly unable to repay the amount and faced mounting pressure from the agency, which happened to be the co-founded by Kim Soo Hyun and his cousin.
Hoverlab reports that Kim Sae-ron allegedly reached out to Kim Soo-hyun in March 2024, hoping to postpone the payment date. However, the actor did not respond to her plea for help, according to a screenshot of the message that Hoverlab obtained from Kim Sae-ron’s family.
Last month, she was found dead at her home. She was 24 years old and police ruled her death as suicide.
Gold Medalist, which also manages Kim Soo Hyun, initially issued a statement firmly refuting the claims and vowed to take “the strongest possible legal action against those who spread lies.” However, backlash against Kim Soo Hyun torpedoed as netizens discovered that Kim Soo Hyun was attending G-Dragon’s listening party on Feb. 25, which was not long after Kim Sae-ron’s death.
Under pressure, the agency followed up with a statement admitting that the two were in a consensual relationship “from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020 after she became a legal adult,” read the statement.
The statement added that Kim Soo Hyun had shown signs of “severe psychological distress” due to the accusations.
“Kim has suffered extreme confusion due to claims blaming him for the actress’s sudden death. People with cameras have also been loitering around his residence, adding to the psychological pressure,” the agency said.
The controversy involving Kim Soo Hyun has put over a dozen brands he represents in a difficult position as they risk potential consumer backlash.
In the last few days, brands such as the bakery chain Tous Les Jours, the supermarket chain Homeplus, and the sportswear company K2 Korea pulled ads of the actor from its official channels.
