Knowing Bros Team Announces Lee Jin Ho’s Exit Amid Illegal Gambling Controversy; promises to edit filmed content

Lee Jin Ho, a popular comedian, is currently in trouble after admitting to an illegal gambling habit. It was revealed that he had borrowed money from several celebrities, including BTS’s Jimin, Ha Sung Woon, Lee Soo Geun and more, and then failed to pay it back. He is also said to have high private debts. Amid this shocking situation, Knowing Bros announced that he will no longer be a part of the show.

On October 14, the JTBC comedy program announced, “Lee Jin Ho will be leaving the recording starting this week.” They also promised to edit out his filmed content as much as possible before broadcasting. Lee Jin Ho has been a regular cast member of Knowing Bros since October 2021.

Meanwhile, during the controversy, he was absent from the press conference for the Netflix series “Comedy Revenge,” which is scheduled to premiere soon. Addressing the situation, a Netflix representative said, “We are deeply disappointed to learn of this just a day before the series premieres.”

However, they asked for fans’ understanding, saying: “As the program is focused on team competitions, completely cutting out certain teams presents significant challenges to the narrative.”

They added that this show, like all of its content, is also the result of the intense hard work and dedication of hundreds of crew and staff that would be wasted if the show was cut.

Recently, Lee Jin Ho admitted through his social media account that he started gambling online in 2020 and soon became addicted to it. He confessed that he had borrowed money from many celebrities and then failed to pay it back on time. He added that after receiving harsh advice from close acquaintances, he belatedly came to his senses and stopped playing. “I will continue to pay back all of these debts on my own until I die,” he wrote in his social media post.

The controversy quickly escalated as netizens began heavily criticizing him, saying he only confessed to “gain sympathy” ahead of the police investigation. His agency, SM C&C, has not yet released a statement on the situation.

READ ALSO: BTS’s Jimin was saved from a tax penalty after being scammed out of 100 million KRW by comedian Lee Jin Ho; knows what happened