Following Eunseok and Sohee, RIIZE Anton faced backlash after his photo with his alleged girlfriend leaked online.

Earlier, an anonymous X user shared a photo on the platform, calling out Anton for meeting his rumored girlfriend amid break. As the controversy grew bigger, more fans expressed their frustration with the idol who was said to be dating.

Immediately, the fandom BRIIZEs shielded the idol from malicious comments.

RIIZE Anton Raises Brows for Photo With Speculated Girlfriend

The controversy started when a user @/zpqkfkekfnk posted a now-deleted photo of a man and a woman holding hands. The netter then stated that the man was actually RIIZE Anton.

In the OP's caption, they criticized him for not communicating with BRIIZEs on Weverse during their vacation, only to find out that he was hanging out with his rumored girlfriend.

When fans who saw this denied it and claimed that it could be Anton's mother, the OP continued to insist that it was the idol's partner, explaining that his well-known fansites would have uploaded it first if he was only seen with his mother.

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The issue became even bigger when the infamous X user @/BBOSSONGEEEEE shared screenshots of a DM they shared with a witness who recognized the girl in the picture.

After checking the uncensored photo, the witness claimed that it was a non-celebrity from New Jersey, the place where Anton moved and grew up since he was 3 years old.

While Anton's face wasn't fully revealed in the picture, some of his fans acknowledged that it was him, pointing out the similar bag and jacket that the idol is using which were also seen in the leaked photo.

RIIZE Anton Accused of Neglecting Fans, BRIIZEs Shield Idol from Absurd Hate

Following the photo, the idol wasn't able to avoid backlash, with fans expressing their disappointment that he was dating. Some of his supporters were particularly concerned that it would lead to his hiatus, given what happened to Seunghan who was forced to take a break just for being in a relationship prior to his debut.

There are also BRIIZEs who felt betrayed by Anton for dating a "white woman" after the male idol showed high appreciation for black and POC women.

Meanwhile, international fans were dumbfounded by the initial reactions to Anton's dating rumor, reminding people that they don't own the idol and that it is time for the K-pop culture to change and start normalizing idols in a relationship just like ordinary people outside the camera.

Keen-eyed fans also defended Anton by claiming that he's a victim of Photoshop.

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Written by Eunice Dawson.