GOT7 leader Jay B has spoken in detail about his past personal-life controversies, saying he feels deeply responsible and that “the old me is dead” as he looks to a new chapter with fans.
GOT7 Jay B (Credits: Koreaboo)
In an interview held at a Seoul cafe on October 27, Jay B bowed his head as he addressed the controversies that have followed him in recent years. The singer debuted in 2012 as part of the duo JJ Project under JYP Entertainment alongside Jinyoung, before re-debuting in 2014 as a member of GOT7, where he has served as the group’s leader ever since.
Fans have expressed both gratitude for his long-standing dedication to GOT7 and disappointment over past incidents. In 2023, Jay B was caught up in controversy when a conversation showing that he had sent direct messages to a non-celebrity woman on social media was made public. In 2021, he also sparked controversy after photos of nude women were visible on the walls of his room during a live broadcast on his personal social media.
GOT7 Jay B Says He Was Careless in the Past
Addressing those moments, Jay B said he deeply feels the responsibility. He admitted he was careless in the past, explaining that outside of events and work, he did not always think of himself as a celebrity when walking around areas like Hapjeong in Seoul.
That mindset, he said, was not necessarily wrong in itself, but he should have taken more responsibility for himself. He explained that he found it hard to think of himself as a celebrity from a young age, so he acted as if his behaviour did not matter — and that, he now says, was a mistake.
“I should have recognised, at least to some degree, that I am a celebrity and lived accordingly,” he said. “Now, I truly feel the weight of responsibility.”
Jay B: “The Old Me Is Dead, I’ve Been Reborn”
Jay B also spoke warmly about what fans mean to him. Asked which lyric from his new album resonates most, he pointed to the line, “I can’t help you, but I can sing for you.” He compared himself to an MP3 player for his fans, saying that realistically there is little he can do to help them directly, but that he is deeply grateful if his music has helped them even a little.
He added that when the controversies happened, he felt sorry, and that the feeling made him want to repay his fans. Back at JYP Entertainment, he said, none of that had happened — he simply thought he needed to work hard — but at some point, he got it wrong.
On whether the public misunderstands him, Jay B was humble. He questioned whether the general public even knows him as an individual, noting that people know GOT7, and know Jinyoung from his dramas, but may not recognise Jay B himself. Any lack of recognition, he laughed, is also his responsibility, for having avoided the spotlight.
For new fans, he said it is fascinating to be discovered, and he hopes they do not dig too deeply into the past. “The old me is dead. Disappeared. I’ve been reborn,” he said. To longtime fans, his message was simple: “Thank you for being my friends.” To those just getting to know him, he added: “Thank you for becoming my friends going forward.”
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Source: Koreaboo — read the full story there.
