'Maliciously rear-ended': Members of Chinese boy band TNT get into car accident while followed by obsessive fans

When fans take "following" their idols too literally, it can come at the expense of celebrities' safety.

Popular Chinese boy band Teens In Times (TNT) has attracted sisheng fans — coming from the Korean term sasaeng meaning "private life" — who are obsessive and try to invade their privacy, often by stalking them.

On July 7, some of them were following members Song Yaxuan, 20, and Liu Yaowen, 18, when their eight-seater car rear-ended the idols' company car.

Footage of the aftermath was shared by passers-by, showing the back of TNT’s car crumpled, and the hood of the fans’ car heavily damaged.

TNT's management released a statement on their official fan club page the next day, stating: "The car ferrying our artists Song Yaxuan and Liu Yaowen was arranged by the programming team and drove normally according to the established route.

"However, due to interference from other vehicles, the artists' car was maliciously rear-ended. The transport authority is investigating and handling the relevant circumstances of the accident."

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They added that the men arrived safely at the hotel they were staying at and were uninjured but that the agency would continue to "pay close attention to the health of the artists".

"Our company strongly condemns such stalking behaviours, and has reported the incident to the relevant departments to be handled by the law," they continued, adding any form of behaviour invading privacy is strictly prohibited.

They urged fans to be "rational" when chasing their idols and "consciously resist behaviours that violate the law, push the ethical boundaries and harm the health and property of others".

Fans were appreciative of the update in the comments, but implored the management to take Yaxuan and Yaowen to the hospital for a check-up anyway.

TNT, which also includes Ma Jiaqi, Ding Chengxin, Zhang Zhenyuan, Yan Haoxiang and He Junlin, were formed during the survival show Typhoon Project by Time Fengjun Entertainment, known for their group TFBoys. They made their debut in November 2019.

drimac@asiaone.com

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