Kim Soo Hyun controversy: Prada cuts ties with actor after dating scandal with Kim Sae-ron, who will be next?

Prada issued a very brief statement about cutting ties with actor Kim Soo Hyun, but the message was loud and clear. It read: “It has been mutually decided to end the collaboration between Prada and Kim Soo Hyun.”

In December 2024, Prada took to Instagram to announce that “Prada is pleased to announce Soohyun Kim, Korean actor, as Prada’s brand ambassador.” Kim Soo Hyun attended their fall 2025 men’s ready-to-wear runway show in Milan.

Prada is not the first brand to cut ties with Kim Soo Hyun, and Women’s Wear Daily, WWD, has reported that “In the last few days, brands such as the bakery chain Tous Les Jours, the supermarket chain Homeplus, and the sportswear company K2 Korea pulled ads of the actor from its official channels.”

It will be interesting to see which brand will be next to drop Kim Soo Hyun. In November 2024, it was revealed that he would be the new Asia ambassador for Jo Malone London and Harper’s Bazaar Malaysia reported at the time that “With his consistent dedication to bringing nuanced, multifaceted roles to life on screen, Kim Soo Hyun has developed a reputation for both excellence and authenticity. It’s this unwavering commitment to his craft that caught the attention of Jo Malone London’s Senior Vice President and Global General Manager, Jo Dancey, who described him as an ideal representative of the brand’s values of artistry and connection.”

Who is Kim Soo Hyun and what’s the scandal relating to him?

South Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun, who is best known for his role in Queen of Tears is currently facing intense backlash after allegations surfaced linking him to the late actress Kim Sae-ron. Sae-ron’s aunt publicly accused Soo Hyun of dating the late actress when she was just 15 years old, while he was 27. The alleged relationship lasted for six years, from 2015 to 2021.

His agent Gold Medallist has released a statement, denying the allegations, the statement read: “The claims made by Garosero Research Institute regarding actor Kim Soo Hyun through their YouTube broadcast are clearly false.

“Garosero Research Institute made claims that our agency and actor Kim Soo Hyun colluded with YouTuber Jinho Lee to harass the late actress Kim Sae Ron, and made many malicious claims against our agency and actor Kim Soo Hyun, such as claims that the late actress Kim Sae Ron dated actor Kim Soo Hyun since she was 15, claims that the agency's response at the time of the late actress Kim Sae Ron's drunk driving accident was unfair, and claims that our agency's manager was close with YouTuber Jinho Lee.

“However, all of these are false claims that we absolutely cannot tolerate, and our agency plans to consider the strongest possible legal action against Garosero Research Institute's spread of false information."

Gold Medallist also addressed the death of Sae-ron’s death and said: "Our company is heartbroken by the news of the death of the late actress Kim Sae Ron, who was once with our company, and we mourn the deceased. However, the spreading of false information like the above by Garosero Research Institute is simply repeating the behavior of the so-called 'cyber wrecker' that the deceased had such a hard time with while alive, and it is damaging not only our company but also the deceased's reputation for its own benefit. Our company will respond sternly to this.”

Who was actress Kim Sae-ron?

Actress Kim Sae-ron was found unresponsive by a friend at her home in Seoul on Sunday, February 16, and was later pronounced dead. She had started her career at the age of nine and was regarded as one of South Korea’s most promising young actresses.

She gained recognition for her breakout role in the 2010 film The Man from Nowhere, for which she won the award for best new actress at the Korean Film Awards. She was the star of Netflix series Bloodhounds, in which two boxers join forces with a moneylender to take down a loan shark who preys on the financially desperate.