Former celebrity manager claims industry cover-ups “I took the blame for drunk driving and proxy prescriptions”

A former top-star dedicated manager with more than 10 years of experience has continued to expose alleged illegal practices within the entertainment industry.

A man identified as A, who introduced himself as the former manager of a “10-million-view actor” and a national-level star actor, appeared in a video released on the YouTube channel All about jobs on April 22nd, where he first claimed that there is a practice of managers taking responsibility for celebrities’ wrongdoing.

A said, “There were quite a lot of cases where things just got brushed off, like in dramas or movies where someone simply says they did it and it passes,” adding, “Drunk driving is the most representative case. Before the news is released, the manager quickly steps in and says, ‘Actually, it was me,’ and receives compensation in return.”

He also stated that he had personally received prescription medications on behalf of celebrities at their request. “Proxy prescriptions are becoming a big issue these days, and I also did it,” he said. “I have all the KakaoTalk messages.” A claimed to possess evidence in the form of chat screenshots, but did not directly disclose them in the video.

A also exposed internal monitoring practices within agencies. He said, “They removed and inspected all the black boxes,” and added that he had even found mobile phones with voice recording turned on inside company vehicles. “It was used to check whether I was badmouthing our agency’s actors,” he said.

Under Korea’s Communication Privacy Protection Act, recording conversations without the consent of all parties is prohibited. If an agency installed recording devices in work vehicles without consent, it may be in violation of the law.

A also made statements regarding entertainment industry drinking and entertainment culture. “People often go to Tenpro clubs in Gangnam. There are many streamers and internet broadcasters in Gangnam, so they often go to Yeouido or Yeongdeungpo instead,” he said.

He added, “Managers like me are not allowed into those rooms. Usually, executives go in and talk with the celebrities.” He also recalled being asked by his assigned celebrity to “come pick someone up.”

A also said he once experienced a high-speed police chase while trying to avoid being late for filming. “On the bus-only lane of the Gyeongbu Expressway, a police car turned on its siren and it became almost like a GTA-style chase,” he said. “At that moment, I was more afraid of being scolded by that person than being caught by the police.”

During the interview, A also claimed that a certain top star was watching the YouTube channel. “You think top stars don’t watch? They are more lonely than you think,” he said.

He further explained why managers cannot publicly report abuse or workplace bullying, saying, “The power that person holds is enormous,” and “Not only would I never be able to work in this industry again, but even if the news breaks, that person would somehow suppress everything and I would end up being the one punished instead.”