NCT's former member Taeil sets Instagram to private amid ongoing sexual offense investigation

Former NCT member Taeil made his Instagram account private following the revelation of his involvement in a serious sexual offense case. This marks his first social media activity since the scandal broke, creating further ripples in an already tumultuous situation.

The controversy erupted on August 28 when SM Entertainment, Taeil’s agency, announced his removal from NCT due to his implication in a sexual crime. The agency’s statement was clear and firm, emphasising the severity of the situation and confirming that Taeil would no longer be part of NCT’s activities. SM Entertainment expressed deep regret over the circumstances and assured full cooperation with the ongoing police investigation.

Thereafter there was a noticeable shift in how NCT members interacted with Taeil on social media. The official NCT Instagram accounts, including those for sub-units like NCT 127, quickly unfollowed Taeil’s personal account. This was not just a formal gesture—several individual members took similar actions, signaling a collective distancing from Taeil.

Taeyong, one of the most prominent members of NCT, was among the first to unfollow Taeil. He went a step further by clearing his entire following list and deleting multiple posts that featured Taeil. Doyoung, another key member, also unfollowed Taeil and removed all the accounts he had been following. Other members, including Haechan, Johnny, Winwin (who is part of both NCT and WayV), Mark, and Jungwoo, followed suit.

Taeil’s social media activity remained quiet in the days following the scandal’s exposure. His Instagram account, once active, stayed dormant until he decided to set it to private. There was a significant decline in his follower count as over 1.1 million followers have unfollowed Taeil since the scandal became public.

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Fan reactions to the scandal have been intense and swift. Many fans have chosen to withdraw their support for Taeil, leading to the shutdown of numerous fan sites dedicated to him. Some fans have even gone as far as destroying merchandise, including burning photo cards, to express their disapproval and disappointment.

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As the investigation continues, SM Entertainment is actively working to erase Taeil’s presence from all NCT-related content.