‘Shocking Childbirth Death’ Gong Hyo-jin Speaks on ‘When the Stars Gossip’: “Unfamiliar Drama”
On Feb 24th, Gong Hyo-jin‘s agency Management SOOP shared her closing remarks on their official account, stating, “This is the space station. I will now read Commander Eve Kim’s final letter.“
Gong Hyo-jin wrote, “Just the fact that ‘When the Stars Gossip’ made it to the world after a long filming process and post-production already feels like an achievement. As an actress, I was drawn to the charm of this fresh storyline, and I hope viewers enjoyed following along just as I did… and that they were able to experience the diversity of Korean drama genres.”
She also expressed gratitude “To all the viewers who loved ‘When the Stars Gossip’, a drama that felt both unfamiliar and honest, I sincerely thank you” while sharing behind-the-scenes photos.
Although Gong Hyo-jin found satisfaction in the birth of this new space-themed K-drama and its completion after an extensive post-production process, viewers felt otherwise.
Touted as a 50 billion won blockbuster starring Lee Min-ho and Gong Hyo-jin, “When the Stars Gossip” ultimately lived up to the saying “A well-known party offers nothing special to eat“.
The drama aired its final episode on Feb 23rd, concluding its 16-episode run on tvN. According to Nielsen Korea, the finale recorded a nationwide viewership rating of 2.6%, a slight recovery from its consistent 1% range since episode 10, yet still disappointing.
In the last episode, Eve (Gong Hyo-jin) gave birth to Gong-ryong (Lee Min-ho)’s child in space. Gong-ryong had rushed to space upon learning about Eve’s miscarriage risks. However, during childbirth, Eve suffered a pelvic fracture and passed away after delivering the baby. Left behind with their daughter Byeol, Gong-ryong scattered Eve’s ashes into space and remained there to raise their child, ultimately developing a disability. He concluded “Space became both a grave and a womb” as he and fellow astronauts Park Dong-ah (Kim Joo-hun) and Kang Tae-hee (Lee El) cared for the baby.
The drama ended with an unconvincing message about the miracle of life and the metaphor of space as a womb, failing to resonate with viewers.
From the start, Gong Hyo-jin and Lee Min-ho’s romantic chemistry failed to capture viewers, and despite its massive 50 billion won budget, the drama was heavily criticized for unnecessary bed scenes, a clichéd birth secret subplot and the controversial death of the female lead during childbirth.
Furthermore, the male lead’s tragic fate—becoming disabled in the end—left an unsettling aftertaste, solidifying “When the Stars Gossip” as a colossal flop despite its hefty investment.
Writer Seo Sook-hyang’s previous works include MBC’s “Pasta”, SBS’s “Don’t Dare to Dream” and “Wok of Love”, as well as KBS2’s “Iron Family”.
