The dark comedy Beef quickly became a hit when it debuted in the 2023 Netflix TV show schedule back in early April, and the Ali Wong- and Steven Yeun-led series still has a spot on the streamer's Top 10 TV Shows at the time of writing. Unfortunately, the success of the show has been overshadowed by controversy surrounding actor David Choe, whose comments about rape from several years ago were recently rediscovered. Now, Wong, Yeun, and Beef creator Lee Sung Jin have broken their silence on the situation.
Ali Wong and Steven Yeun (who are executive producers as well as part of the cast of Beef) joined with creator Lee Sung Jin for a group statement to Variety that addressed the controversy, saying:
The story David Choe fabricated nine years ago is undeniably hurtful and extremely disturbing. We do not condone this story in any way, and we understand why this has been so upsetting and triggering. We’re aware David has apologized in the past for making up this horrific story, and we’ve seen him put in the work to get the mental health support he needed over the last decade to better himself and learn from his mistakes.
While the three made it clear that they "do not condone" David Choe's comments from 2014, they also noted his apology and that he has put in work to improve himself and "learn from his mistakes." Choe himself has not addressed what his co-stars and Beef creator said in response to the controversy.
The controversy stems from David Choe's comments in 2014 on the DVDASA podcast, in which he reportedly spoke about sexually assaulting a massage therapist, and then referred to himself as a "successful rapist" when podcast co-host Asa Akira called out his comments.
There was backlash at the time, with Variety reporting that he said in 2014 that his comments on the podcast were "not a representation of my reality" and "not the place to come to reliable information about me or my life," and apologizing insofar as saying "I'm sorry if anyone believed that the stories were fact." If he's "guilty of anything," he said, it was "bad storytelling in the style of douche."
The aftermath of Beef releasing for Netflix subscribers in the 2023 TV schedule also isn't the first time that David Choe was called out for his comments years after. He addressed them again in 2017 via a statement on Instagram, in which he said again that what he said in his podcast comments "did not happen" and he has "ZERO history of sexual assault." He went on to say:
Non-consensual sex is rape and it is never funny or appropriate to joke about. I was a sick person at the height of my mental illness ,and have spent the last 3 years in mental health facilities healing myself and dedicating my life to helping and healing others through love and action. I do not believe in the things I have said although I take full ownership of saying them. Additionally, I do not condemn anyone or have any ill will towards those who spread hate and speak out negatively against me, no one will ever hate me more than I hated myself back then.
While it seems safe to say that the controversy won't immediately die down just because Ali Wong, Steven Yeun, and Lee Sung Jin made a joint statement, their mention of David Choe putting "in the work to get the mental health support he needed" echoes what Choe said in 2017 about struggling with mental illness. At the time of writing, Choe has not released a statement addressing the podcast clip resurfacing again in 2023.
With Beef currently at #2 on Netflix's list of Top 10 TV Shows in the U.S., it seems that the controversy has not deterred subscribers from checking out the show, which had been deemed a must-watch once reviews were out earlier this month. Fans are certainly still discussing the show for its own merits, including the throwback songs in the soundtrack. All ten episodes are available streaming on Netflix.
