EXO Announces 13th Anniversary Party, Sparks Controversy Over EXO-CBX’s Absence
EXO (Suho, Chanyeol, Kai, D.O., Baekhyun, Sehun, Xiumin, Chen) is set to celebrate its 13th debut anniversary with a special live broadcast titled EXO: 13IRTHDAY HOME PARTY on April 8 at 8 PM KST. However, controversy has arisen among fans as the lineup excludes ChenBaekXi (Chen, Baekhyun, Xiumin), raising questions about their absence from this milestone event.
SM Entertainment’s Announcement
On April 1, SM Entertainment released an official notice through EXO’s fan community channel, announcing that Suho, Chanyeol, Kai, and D.O. would host the live broadcast to commemorate the group’s anniversary. The event aims to connect with fans and celebrate EXO’s journey over the past 13 years.
Debate Over EXO-CBX’s Exclusion
Fans have expressed disappointment over the absence of ChenBaekXi (EXO-CBX) from the lineup. While Chen, Baekhyun, Xiumin have been actively promoting under their independent label INB100 since leaving SM Entertainment, many believe that all members should participate in celebrating EXO’s debut anniversary. This sentiment is further fueled by D.O.’s inclusion in the event despite his departure from SM Entertainment and current activities under his own label, SoSo Company.
Adding to the controversy, Baekhyun shared a message on the fan communication platform Bubble, saying, “I could do challenges too. I wanted to do a live broadcast. It would’ve been nice to know earlier. It’s disappointing.” Fans speculate that SM did not inform ChenBaekXi about the anniversary party in advance, leading to heated discussions online.
Other Members’ Status
Sehun will not attend the event due to his ongoing military service. Despite this, fans are questioning why Chen Baekhyun Xiumin are excluded when D.O., who is no longer under SM Entertainment’s management, is participating.
[KFans Reactions] EXO announces 13th Anniversary Party without 3 members
The two opinions are sharply divided: one side argues that leaving the original company and starting their own is wrong, while the other side believes SM Entertainment is at fault.
“Looks like they really didn’t contact you… It’s so obvious what kind of things would’ve been said if you hadn’t spoken up. You did well. I know how you were still thinking about ways to communicate with fans even last night, so I just hope that moving forward, your health and spending long, happy days together with us will always come first.”
“Why didn’t you talk to the members before filing the lawsuit? If they had known earlier, the relationships between the members wouldn’t have been ruined, and things could’ve been better.”
“Baekhyun, isn’t your method to tell the story is wrong? LOL. Don’t you have EXO’s contact numbers? Just resolve it among yourselves instead of publicly displaying conflicts.”
“Last year, after a concert, you didn’t get a single moment of sleep before boarding a plane and enduring an extreme schedule, participating in fan meetings despite being unwell. Yet now, as soon as the announcement was made, people are reacting to the shady intentions of that agency with all kinds of comments, and when you say you weren’t even contacted, they claim your method is wrong. LOL. What do they expect you to do?”
Fans are sharply divided and EXO reunion is still in the dark.
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