Prada cut ties with Kim Soo-hyun 2 months after naming him — poor vetting cost brands

Prada named Kim Soo-hyun a global brand ambassador in January 2025 and flew him to Milan for the fall 2025 menswear show. Two months later, on March 14, 2025, Prada announced it had 'mutually decided to end the collaboration' after a YouTube expose alleged Kim Soo-hyun had been in a six-year relationship with late actress Kim Sae-ron that began when she was 15.

Kim Sae-ron died by suicide on February 16, 2025 at age 24. After her death, Hoverlab — a Korean YouTube commentary channel — released photos and messages claiming the two had been in a relationship since 2019 when Kim Sae-ron was 15. The livestream attracted nearly 4 million views. Kim Soo-hyun's agency Gold Medalist initially denied the claims, then admitted a consensual relationship after she 'became a legal adult.'

The controversy had been building since Kim Sae-ron's drunk driving incident in 2022. She borrowed 700 million won ($481,000) from Gold Medalist to pay fines — the agency co-founded by Kim Soo-hyun and his cousin. She could not repay and faced mounting pressure. A screenshot showed her reaching out to Kim Soo-hyun in March 2024 to postpone payment, with no response.

Over a dozen brands Kim Soo-hyun represented faced potential consumer backlash. Beyond Prada, brands including bakery chain Tous Les Jours, supermarket Homeplus, sportswear K2 Korea, cosmetics brand Dinto and fragrance house Jo Malone all pulled ads or cut ties. The case became a textbook example of the financial risk of celebrity endorsements in Korea's cancel culture environment.