Former TV entertainer Amy, who had been deported on drug abuse charges, attempted suicide after a Korean variety show aired malicious rumors about her. 

The incident came after Monday’s episode of Channel A’s variety talk show “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” featured rumors about Amy’s past, under the theme of “celebrities from well-off families.” The show discusses rumors and gossip surrounding celebrities in the Korean entertainment industry.

In the episode, a panel talked about Amy’s problematic history, ranging from her family background to drug abuse which had resulted in her deportation to the US in 2015. It also brought up rumors that Amy had borrowed cash from a reporter whom she had met for an interview, as she desperately needed money for hospital treatment.

The show also mentioned the rumor that Amy had constantly asked reporters to digitally alter her face in pictures, citing her bad skin condition.

Following the broadcast, Amy reportedly attempted suicide at her residence in Los Angeles on Tuesday. She was hospitalized. Ahead of the suicide attempt, Amy wrote on Instagram, “I am so tired now. I have nowhere to fall. I want to go somewhere I don’t feel sad.”

“I forgot how to laugh. My tears have dried up. … I’m giving up. The truth will come out eventually after I die. … Thank you to those who believed in me,” she added.

Amy, a Korean-American, debuted as a TV actress in 2008. In 2015, the immigration office ordered her to leave the country after she was found guilty of drug offenses in 2012 and 2014. Amy left Korea on Dec. 30, 2015 and has been living in the US since.

In response to Amy’s suicide attempt, the producers of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” officially apologized, stating, “We accept that the episode hurt Amy. This is very unfortunate and we deliver sincere apologies to her. We wish her a fast recovery.”

By Hong Dam-young (lotus@heraldcorp.com)