Popular Survival Show Contestant’s Sexuality Called Into Question After Viral TikTok
After a recent TikTok video gone viral, a female soloist and popular contestant from Mnet‘s Girls Planet 999 has found herself at the center of speculation about her sexuality.
A fan favorite from the survival show, You Dayeon amassed over 2.7 million views in just a few days with the video, which depicted her with another girl in a sequence of clips that raised eyebrows. In the video, the pair can be seen playfully pulling each other off camera several times β something which likely wouldn’t have attracted so much attention if not for the song Dayeon used: “we fell in love in october” by girl in red.
@dayeon_you_ I’m u r girl π
Norwegian singer-songwriter girl in red identifies as both gay and queer. Her music, which resonates strongly with many LGBTQ+ listeners, has risen to huge fame in recent years. Songs like “we fell in love in october,” in fact, have become so popular that the phrase “does she listen to girl in red?” is now internet-speak for discreetly asking if someone is a lesbian.
On top of this, Dayeon captioned the TikTok “I’m u r girl π,” leading numerous fans to wonder if she was “soft launching” a same-sex relationship.
did girls planet trainee you dayeon just soft launch her girlfriend
— vivi β (@twicepunch) August 9, 2024
Dayeon herself has been known to support the LGBTQ+ community for years, once responding with literal open arms to a female fan who asked to be her girlfriend.
yoo dayeon responded to someone asking to be her girlfriend π sheβs so cute pic.twitter.com/XgPpDvaVhZ
— rik (@reveoomf) November 5, 2021
However, a few days later, Dayeon finally addressed the speculation in her TikTok comments. After one viewer commented, “GF??? DAYEON?????,” Dayeon set the record straight with her own reply “BFπ―ββοΈ” β presumably standing for “best friend.”Β Ever positive, Dayeon took the speculation well, posting a laughing emoji in response to fans who continued to joke, “we know what you are.”
Dayeon, who made her solo debut with “Down Down Down” in October 2023, isn’t the only Girls Planet 999 alum to face questions about her sexuality. Earlier this year, finalist Fu Yaning (one of the most popular picks for Kep1er’s final lineup) stirred up debate with an Instagram post caption.
Someone hit on me at the cafΓ©, and I rejected with, ‘I have a girlfriend.’ It’s good to change my sexual orientation sometimes haha.
β Fu Yaning’s Instagram post caption
The post drew mixed reactions, with some praising her perceived coming out while others criticized her for seemingly “trivializing” sexual orientation.
While Dayeon’s sexuality remains unknown and private, another girl group survival show contestant surprised fans late last year when she came out as a lesbian. Everyone was quick to congratulate MIXNINE‘s Park Chohyeon in November when she happily introduced fans to her “life partner” Eunha.
