A close family friend of TWICE member Tzuyu has spoken out about the unfair treatment the idol is facing.

Matilda Tao, also known as Taozi, is a senior Taiwanese talk show host, singer, actress, and close friend of Tzuyu's family. During a live show, the veteran entertainer discussed the TWICE member and slammed JYP Entertainment for their unjust treatment of the female idol.

Keep on reading for all the details.

TWICE Jihyo Draws Flak For 'Parodying' Tzuyu's Flag Incident Apology

One of the factors Matilda Tao mentioned was that Jihyo, a co-member of TWICE, supposedly parodied Tzuyu's flag incident apology. For reference, Tzuyu had to film an apology video after she was seen waving the Taiwan flag on the show "My Little Television." At the time, she was slammed by Chinese netizens for promoting Taiwan's independence from China.

Supposedly, Jihyo parodied Tzuyu's apology as a teaser for her variety show. It was noted that she was wearing similar clothes to Tzuyu, with both boking in long, black-sleeved tops. Both also had their hair messily styled in a ponytail. Additionally, both videos were filmed against a plain wall and featured the idols apologizing for something they did.

你們的Jihyo 做出來的事 pic.twitter.com/7Xxq6wX6bj

— @wyfyz0210 (@wyfyz0210) April 30, 2024

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Matilda Tao slammed this choice, saying, "When making the teaser that parodied Tzuyu's pain, did you think it was fun? Are you happy? I don't think anyone would find this amusing. Did you think doing so would attract more attention?"

The backlash was loud after the teaser for Jihyo's variety show was released, and the production team soon apologized and erased the clip from the video. However, it was noted that they did not apologize to Tzuyu. After it was pointed out that apologizing to her would admit they were targeting her, Matilda Tao criticized the team for being careless.

ootb STUDIO has issue an apology and remove the clip and change the thumbnail. Now we ask fans to stop bring up the issue on Jihyo and Tzuyu personal SNS accounts, none of them deserve to be harass, their mental health is a priority. pic.twitter.com/Srvloaqhnj

— TWICE DATA (@TWICEDATA_) April 30, 2024

JYP Entertainment Slammed for Mistreating TWICE Tzuyu

Additionally, Matilda Tao criticized JYP for not promoting Tzuyu enough. It was noted that Tzuyu is the second-most-followed TWICE member on Instagram, with 13.2 million followers on the platform. With this in mind, they claimed it was common sense that the members who are more popular should have more activities.

 However, that does not appear to be the case for Tzuyu. It was noted by fans that she is not an ambassador for any brand and is the member with the fewest personal activities. Since 2021, Tzuyu has not appeared on the cover of a magazine on her own. Additionally, she is one of the members with the fewest lines.

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During Fashion Week season, it was only Jeongyeon and Tzuyu who did not attend any of the brands' shows. This puzzled Matilda Tao, as Tzuyu's visuals, height, and figure are considered among the best in the K-pop industry. Her aura is well-suited for Fashion Week-related activities, and yet JYP Entertainment never let Tzuyu participate.

 Matilda Tao revealed that, despite her lack of activities, Tzuyu is still willing to renew her contract with JYP Entertainment. This is due to her kind heart; Tzuyu is the type of person who considers everyone's interests. On top of that, Tzuyu herself revealed that the members treat her well. However, if the mistreatment keeps up, TWICE could end up becoming an eight-member group without Tzuyu.

She pondered why Tzuyu was not given more activities, when doing so would increase the company's revenue due to her worldwide fame. She has a good voice, she dances well, and she has fans all over the world. With these three things, Matilda Tao believes Tzuyu should be given more opportunities.

240430 [ENG SUB] Matilda Tao, is a senior Taiwanese talk show host, singer, actress, author, radio host, and a good friend of the Chou Family. During her live show, she discusses the recent event that happened when a teaser of a new variety show was inappropriately filmed and… pic.twitter.com/00BA6uEbFj

— theniumee🌻🐠 (@theniumee_) May 1, 2024

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Written by Alexa Lopez