Singer HWASA revealed that she suffered from panic disorder during the time she was involved in a controversy over obscenity.
On the July 13 episode of the KBS2 entertainment show “Crazy Rich Korean (크레이지 리치 코리안)“, HWASA looked back on the incident at a university festival in 2023, where she sparked controversy for a highly suggestive 19+ performance.
That day, HWASA shared:
“When the public criticism reached its peak, my mom sent me a message for the first time asking, ‘My daughter, are you okay?’”
She continued, “It was the first time she said something like that, and I felt like my heart was going to break.”
At the time, accused of obscenity due to the provocative nature of her performance, HWASA was reported for indecent exposure by the Korean Association for the Protection of Students and Parents’ Rights (한인연). The police investigation ultimately closed the case with no charges.
HWASA added:
“Even my parents didn’t understand me. I told them, ‘If even mom didn’t understand me when I was young, how could anyone else?’ And my mom replied, ‘Yes, I’m proud of you, my daughter.’”
She also revealed she experienced panic symptoms at that time:
“At the airport in Turkey, I suddenly felt unstable. No joke, the staff members all hugged me at the same time. That’s when I burst into tears. I felt they wanted to protect me instinctively, and I was deeply grateful.”
HWASA concluded:
“I’m human too, so there are times when I feel unstable. I don’t know why, but sometimes I get this feeling of suffocation, like it’s hard to breathe. When that happens, just someone holding me calms my anxiety. Thankfully, it happens less and less these days.”
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: YouTube KBS
