Fans Fear Popular Survival Show Contestant Is A New Member of FIFTY FIFTY
Amidst the legal issues between several of the original members of FIFTY FIFTY and their company, ATTRAKT, three of the group’s members had their contracts terminated. This left just one member, Keena, as the sole member of FIFTY FIFTY over the last several months.
ATTRAKT announced that it would hold auditions for new members, and on July 9, netizens got a first glimpse at the four new members. In several Instagram stories posted for Keena’s birthday, the backs of what are assumed to be the four new members were shown.
Naturally, speculation has continued over who these new members could be, with some fans of an eliminated survival show contestant fearing she may be one of them.
In June 2023, the survival program R U NEXT? introduced viewers to 22 talented trainees competing to debut as part of BE:LIFT Labs‘ new girl group.
While she did not make it into the set of winners that went on to debut as ILLIT, trainee Chanelle was a global fan favorite from the start. Many felt a kinship with the talented trainee, known for being a K-Pop fan on X (formerly Twitter) before her survival show debut.
Her elimination left many heartbroken but hopeful that Chanelle would eventually make her debut someday, with social media activity suggesting she may have left BE:LIFT.
Viral rumors about the FIFTY FIFTY members included descriptions that matched Chanelle, like being mixed and speaking English. Once the photos from Keena’s birthday celebration were shared, some fans believed that one of the individuals matched Chanelle’s appearance, providing loose “proof.”
[🧂] RUMOR – NO CONFIRMATION (2)
New photos have been shared on the Instagram account of Fifty Fifty, one of the girls looks like Chanelle. #CHANELLE #샤넬 #RUNEXT pic.twitter.com/KSkY4xG8zW— RUNext Updates (@runext_updates) July 9, 2024
— RUNext Updates (@runext_updates) July 9, 2024
While these rumors are unconfirmed, they have worried many as more often than expected, especially in K-Pop, rumors that seem completely baseless turn out to be true.
CHANELLE IS IN FIFTY FIFTY BEEP CAR CRASHES ONTO THE TREE&#&%#%%%😭😭😭😭😭💔 pic.twitter.com/OLjnW52jjm
— Yoizz🫧🧚♀️ (@criminalchae) July 9, 2024
im jumping off the building rn this might be her…. Look at the skin color fckkk pls don’t be her pls pls i can wait 10years more for chanelle to debut😭😭🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/MhvfQIWFPy
— rin ✮🎧 (@fairyjennelle) July 9, 2024
This chanelle rumor CANNOT be true pls😭 the fact that her being in fiftyfifty would not only mean shes a part of that horrible company but also be the former members’ replacement is just pic.twitter.com/VzVRaNdvNf
— ale˚ ୨୧⋆。˚ ⋆ (@blumunyun) July 9, 2024
i hate how she resembles chanelle so much, i really hope it's not her https://t.co/mO92RUvlZg
— zeen (@iwalyjiyoon) July 9, 2024