K-Drama Actress Lee Tae Im Is Pregnant, To Get Married After Giving Birth
Speculations about Korean actress Lee Tae Im's unexpected retirement have finally been put to rest. It has been confirmed that she is pregnant, and it came just a few days after The Lady In Dignity star shocked her fans when she announced that she is retiring from the entertainment industry.
Lee's label Management HENEM confirmed that the actress is three months pregnant. The agency has revealed how Lee and her boyfriend met and when they are planning to get married. Lee's fiancé is a mergers and acquisitions businessman. He is reportedly 12 years her senior.
"It's true Lee Tae Im is currently 3 months pregnant. She plans to get married after giving birth. She met her husband-to-be at the end of last year, and he's a mergers and acquisitions businessman older than her," the Management HENEM said in a statement.
In addition, the label confirmed that they already terminated Lee's contract from the company in light of her pregnancy. Apparently, there is still one year left on her contract. There were reports that she paid the penalty to settle it and avoid facing a lawsuit.
Lee Tae Im Announced Retirement
Lee stunned her fans when she suddenly announced her retirement. On Monday, the 31-year-old actress took to Instagram to reveal her plan of leaving the entertainment industry. In her post, Lee hinted that she is facing difficult challenges in life. The actress said she finally decided to live "a normal life." However, the Don't Hesitate star did not say anything about her pregnancy.
"This is Tae Im. It has been too long. The past days have been too hard with many thoughts and pain. I have decided to live a normal life from now on. I will live without forgetting the people who love me. Thank you," she captioned a black and white photo of her.
Lee's fans got worried when her label said they were not notified of the retirement announcement and they can't reach the actress. Management HENEM, however, confirmed that Lee is having a difficult time at work. Lee Tae Im is currently working on MBN's variety show Flying Girl. A network rep confirmed that the actress also requested to leave the show for a personal reason.
This further fueled speculations on what Lee's reason for leaving showbiz could be. The retirement announcement also came as a surprise since she had just returned to the entertainment scene in June 2017 with the hit K-drama The Lady In Dignity on JTBC. She previously appeared in supporting roles in K-drama series' The Day After We Broke Up and Entourage in 2016.
Lee took a break from the limelight in 2015 after a clip of her using vulgar language in an argument with Yewon of K-pop group Jewelry had leaked. The two had a heated argument while on the set of MBC's Tutoring Across Generations.
At the time, the netizens were divided on their opinion on what happened between the two K-pop artists. Some criticized Yewon for speaking informally while talking to Lee, while others believed the later is just being too sensitive. A year later, Lee issued an apology during an episode of SNL Korea, saying the incident between her and Yewon was completely her fault. After hearing Lee's apology, Yewon said she sent a text message to the actress who in turn called her, and they were able to talk.