Survival Show Trainee’s Heartbreaking Recollections Of Physical And Mental Abuse From His Parents 

Starlight Boys, an ongoing South Korean and Chinese boy group survival show, recently premiered via iQIYI and SBS on October 26, 2024. Sixty-nine male contestants worldwide are competing for a spot in the final top 9.

While Lee Sung Kyoung is the MC, Lee Seung Gi, BIGBANG’s Daesung, Choi Youngjoon, Hanhae, Kwon Eun Bi, Pentagon’s Hui, THE BOYZ’s Eric, and STAYC’s Yoon are judges (known as “Guiders”).

Several trainees gained attention before the show, including BAE173‘s Hangyul, who is competing in a survival show for the fourth time.

As the show continues, viewers discover more details about the various competitors, including stories from their past. Recently, trainee Xinche had some of his older social media posts found that detailed his alleged treatment by his parents.

Xinche is a Chinese trainee under UN24 and has been praised for his AI-like visuals. The trainee is one of the 58 to have passed the first and controversial elimination challenge.

Before he joined the show, Xinche was active on social media as an influencer and had fans who enjoyed his work. It is likely due to this pre-debut fame that these recollections have since gained attention.

One message believed to be a social media update from the star detailed shocking abuse suffered at the hands of his parents, including their neglect of a broken hand.

I finally understand why they didn’t take me to the hospital when I broke my hand earlier but instead slapped me a few times, left me home for the night, and only took me to the hospital the next day when my hand was so swollen that they couldn’t stand it anymore. Why they threatened me with a kitchen knife and hit me with a chair. Why they suddenly pushed my head to the ground with great force during New Years. Why they used me as a shield when something went wrong, glared at me every time I went home and slapped me until I blacked out, to the point that I still get dizzy without reason now. They even kicked me out during New Years. It turns out that I’ve always just been a burden.

— Xinche’s alleged post

Another post, this time from August of this year and from his Weibo page also revealed his parent’s financial abuse, and his struggles with anxiety.

Disbanding the fan group and deleting my Weibo are preparations for my future plans. My condition hasn’t been good at all for the past few months. I felt pins and needles and couldn’t breathe after many events. I admit that part of the reason for deleting my Weibo is because I was in a bad mood that day. I apologize. Sorry.

I have to take medicine continuously. I’ve always been anxious and gave a lot of attention to how I look. I’m really super anxious. I don’t know what I’m saying. I went MIA for the past few days in order to relax. I had an early birthday celebration with my friends. I love playing escape rooms because the first job I had at age 14 was being an NPC. My parents didn’t really care about me since I was 14, until they went in debt and asked me to help them repay it later on. There’s a lot of pressure on me. I don’t know what I’m saying. Regardless, I apologize for my actions in the past few days. Sorry. I’m not looking for sympathy. It’s just that I feel terrible if I don’t let it all out. Sorry.

— Xinche’s post

You can read more about the show below.

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