Netflix’s Beef Star Facing Cancellation After Old Videos Resurface?
A clip of Beef actor David Choe admitting to "rapey behavior" against a masseuse in 2014 may soon lead to the actor's cancellation.
While his Netflix series may be taking the streaming service by storm, Beef actor David Choe is finding his name on a list that includes celebrities like Bill Cosby and Danny Masterson after a past interview resurfaced during which he admitted to “rapey behavior.” According to Deadline, the actor appeared on his podcast DVDASA in 2014 in an episode in which Choe admitted to less-than-savory behavior during a massage session. While the podcast is no longer in existence, clips from the episode in question recently made their way back into the light during which the actor gleefully recounts a story of him forcing the masseuse to perform oral sex on him.
In the troubling soundbite, Choe admits that while the masseuse wasn’t “into it,” she wasn’t “stopping it either.” According to the conversation with podcast co-host Asa Akira “it” refers to the act of oral sex with Akira asking Choe if he was essentially admitting to committing an act of rape, to which the Netflix Beef star casually responded, “Yeah.” Backtracking on his shocking admission, Choe said that while it was “rapey behavior” he didn’t see his actions as enough to deem him “a rapist.”
Although this was years before David Choe would find his name on Netflix’s call sheet next to Ali Wong and Steven Yeun, the Beef star was already known for his craftful art skills as well as being a Vice personality. While back then, the comments may not have gained enough traction to become a viral upset, they sure are now with Choe taking steps to protect himself under copyright laws which have, in turn led to Twitter removing the resurfaced videos. And even though the story told back in 2014 didn’t deliver a career-ending blow for Choe, he had previously come out to say that he was just kidding and that the massage incident never took place.
Back then, Buzzfeed caught the original scoop with Choe making his clear anti-rapist statement and commenting, “I am not a rapist,” adding that the claims were beyond his wildest imagination. When pressed for why he would say such things, the Netflix star said that it was just a bit for his podcast, which the Beef actor said was “not a news show,” adding that the tale was fabricated for entertainment purposes.
After gaining rave reviews from critics and audiences, it’s no shock why Netflix is expected to pick up Beef for a season 2. Stemming from the creative mind of Lee Sung Jin, the Steven Yeun and Ali Wong-led comedy-drama centers around two strangers involved in a parking lot car accident that puts them on a collision course for revenge. As their vengeance-based pranks escalate, the duo finds their lives more intertwined with one another for better or worse.
Along with Yeun, Wong, and Choe, the miniseries also features the likes of Joseph Lee, Patti Yasutake, and Young Mazino. With Netflix thinking things over on a second season of Beef, it’s unclear what the cards would hold for Choe’s possible return. With audiences and the culture being less forgiving around remarks like the one in question, it will be interesting to see how and if the actor can bounce back from his “rapey” behavior.
