When Wendy Has to Sit Out
Supposedly, Red Velvet’snewest hit, “Psycho,” was gonna be their biggest and most powerful comeback as OT5 after months of hiatus. But, late 2019 started another story when one of Red Velvet’s members, the golden-voiced Wendy, had to be rushed to the hospital after getting into an incident at the 2019 SBS Gayo Daejun.
What is the full story behind it, and what are the newest updates on Wendy’s condition? Scroll down this article below to find out more!
Wendy’s Incident at SBS Gayo Daejun 2019
On December 25, 2019, SM Entertainment announced that Red Velvet‘s Wendy suffered an injury prior to the 2019 SBS Gayo Daejeon, and the group would no longer be performing at the event.
In their statement released to fans via LYSN and to the media, they shared the details of her injury.
We are here to deliver some sad news to the fans.
Wendy was injured during the rehearsals for 2019 SBS Gayo Daejeon today. She was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment, and we will notify fans as soon as we find out the exact diagnosis of her injury.
Due to the injury, Red Velvet was not able to complete their pre-recording for the show, and will not be able to attend the live broadcast tonight. We ask for the understanding from the fans who are currently at the venue.
— SM Entertainment
This meant Red Velvet’s performances of “Zimzalabim”, “Umpah Umpah”, and “PSYCHO” had been canceled. In addition, Wendy was slated to perform the Aladdin OST “Speechless” and the Frozen 2 OST “Into the Unknown” as part of a girl group vocal special OST stage, alongside Oh My Girl‘s Seunghee, GFRIEND‘s Eunha, and MAMAMOO‘s Solar. These stages were also canceled.
After initially announcing they would be canceling Red Velvet‘s appearance at the 2019 SBS Gayo Daejeon, SM Entertainment then released a second statement, detailing the severity of Wendy‘s injuries later on the same day.
SM Entertainment revealed that Wendy suffered several serious injuries and would be completely focused on her recovery for the near future.
During the rehearsals for her individual performance on SBS Gayo Daejeon, Wendy fell off the stage. Wendy was immediately transferred to the hospital for a thorough examination and it was revealed she suffered injuries to her face, as well as a breaks in her right pelvis and her right wrist.
Right now, Wendy is waiting for additional examinations after receiving preliminary emergency treatment at the hospital. We plan to focus solely on treatment, as the artist’s health is our top priority. We will let fans know about Red Velvet’s future schedules as soon as we organize them.
— SM Entertainment
Fans were infuriated when SBS only gave a three-line apology on the website, saying:
“Red Velvet’s Wendy was injured in a tragic accident during rehearsal. We sincerely apologize to fans and viewers for she could not make it on the live stage. We hope Wendy will get well soon, and SBS will put extra attention on safety issues.”
Reveluv (Red Velvet’s fandom name) were furious with SBS, both at their lack of apology towards Red Velvet, Wendy, and SM Entertainment, and with their unsafe conditions at their year-end festival. They also were furious that SBS was still airing the performances Red Velvet did pre-record prior to Wendy’s injury, and not respecting SM Entertainment’s opinions.
On December 26, 2019, SBS finally released a second apology. This time, their apology was addressed to Wendy, her family, the other members of Red Velvet, and fans, and it reads as follows:
We wish to apologize once more regarding 2019 SBS Gayo Daejeon.
During the rehearsals for Gayo Daejeon on December 25, an unfortunate accident took place. SBS wishes to once more sincerely apologize to Red Velvet’s Wendy, who was injured, as well as her family, the members of Red Velvet, and fans.
As Wendy’s recovery comes before all else, the director of SBS’s entertainment division and the staff have been working closely with her agency SM Entertainment since the accident occurred, and we are doing our best to provide adequate treatment for her injuries.
Right after the accident took place on December 25, the staff blocked off the area and called for emergency services so that Wendy could be rushed to the hospital and undergo a thorough examination. We have begun an internal investigation into understanding the exact details of the accident, and once we fully understand the cause, we will take greater care to ensure that such an accident does not occur again.
Wendy is currently undergoing inpatient treatment and examination at a hospital in Seoul. SBS promises to do our best to work with Wendy’s family and the medical staff to ensure that Wendy has a quick and full recovery.
Once again, we wish to sincerely apologize to Red Velvet’s Wendy and her family.
On December 26, 2019, the Korean news outlet Dispatch released shocking details regarding Wendy’s accident.
Dispatch met with the field staff who were present during the incident at the SBS festival on the 25th of December, 2019.
The staff member stated, “Wendy conducted the first rehearsal at 11:00 am (KST) on the 25th of December on the main stage during the ‘Aladdin’ OST ‘Speechless’ sound test and sound check. Wendy climbed to the second-floor tunnel, as scripted. She was prepared to go down the stairs during the song. But the stairs were not set in place. At that moment, she lost her balance and fell down the stage.”
The staff member continued, “The second-floor tunnel was dark and cramped. The stairs were not ready. Not even the common (fluorescent) marking was visible, so that was how she fell below 2.5 meters in such a defenseless state.” The staff member added, “After Wendy’s accident, several groups went up to the tunnel on the second floor. The news of the incident had spread and the groups were all performing with heightened anxiety.”
The Red Velvet members were shocked by the news of Wendy’s injury. Wendy did not get to show a pre-recorded performance or a live performance.
Dispatch noted that Wendy would likely be suffering at least six weeks of healing time after the diagnosis of her injuries. Her right pelvis and wrist were broken, and her right cheekbone was cracked. She also had a number of bruises all over her body. It would likely take several months to recover. According to hospital staff, the swelling at the injury site was so severe that an accurate diagnosis could not even be made at this time. They were focusing on Wendy recovering slowly until they could make a proper diagnosis and recovery plan.
