Celebrities who have opened their homes to the public through television and YouTube continue to face serious invasions of privacy.
From strangers ringing doorbells late at night to drones being flown over private residences, the methods used to intrude on celebrities' personal lives have become increasingly alarming. Now, rapper Simon D has reignited the conversation after revealing that he was the victim of a luxury watch theft.
Appearing on cartoonist Kian84's YouTube channel, Simon D disclosed that a luxury watch worth hundreds of millions of KRW had been stolen from his home. The watch, a diamond-encrusted model from a prestigious Swiss watchmaker, was eventually recovered unexpectedly.
"The thief stole it and consigned it to a watch shop that I frequently visit. A friend happened to go there to buy a watch and spotted it. I went to try it on, and it fit my wrist perfectly. The next morning, I went with the police, identified the suspect through CCTV footage, and because the shop had copied the person's ID, they were caught immediately. But since it had been stolen, I felt it carried bad energy, so I sold it right away," Simon D said.
Although he managed to recover the watch, Simon D said the incident changed his perspective on exposing his private life. He revealed that he no longer appears on reality shows that feature his home. The rapper previously showcased his residence on MBC's 'I Live Alone' in 2021.
He is not the only celebrity to experience such issues.
Comedian Kim Sook, who documented the renovation of her Jeju vacation home on tvN's Unpredictable, said her property has effectively become a tourist attraction.
"Our house has ended up being listed as one of the local sightseeing spots. I heard that around 10 groups of tourists stopped by within just five to ten minutes," she said.
Model Han Hye Jin, who owns a country home in Hongcheon and has shared it through YouTube, also recalled frightening encounters with uninvited visitors.
"I had just finished showering and was drying my hair when I heard a car door slam outside. A middle-aged couple walked around the yard and looked all over the house," she said. "I told them they weren't allowed to come onto the property, and they replied, 'We're never watching TV again,' before leaving. I felt depressed for the rest of the day."
She later posted on social media, pleading with fans, "Please, I'm asking you. Don't come looking for my house. I'm scared."
The repeated incidents ultimately led Han Hye Jin to install a new gate, fencing, and dozens of CCTV cameras to strengthen security.
Singer Lee Hyori and her husband Lee Sang Soon also endured severe privacy violations after JTBC's hit reality show 'Hyori's Homestay' aired in 2017. Once the location of their Jeju home became widely known, tourists began showing up uninvited.
Lee Sang Soon previously described the ordeal saying, "People we didn't know came to our house, took photos, peered through the front gate, used selfie sticks to take pictures over the walls, rang the doorbell, triggered the alarm so our dogs barked all day, asked if they could come inside, and before leaving the house ourselves, we constantly had to check the CCTV to see whether anyone was waiting outside."
As more celebrities reveal their homes through television and online content, some viewers continue to mistake those broadcasts as invitations to visit in person.
Programs such as 'I Live Alone,' 'Omniscient Interfering View,' and 'My Little Old Boy' are intended to offer audiences a glimpse into celebrities' daily lives—not to encourage visits to their private residences.
While some fans may act out of curiosity, repeated visits or behavior that causes fear and distress can go far beyond harmless fandom and become serious invasions of privacy. Critics continue to stress that a home appearing on television does not grant the public permission to visit it without consent.
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