Former Baby V.O.X member Hee-jin Lee revealed why she kept her heart closed for years after a string of painful relationships.
On the June 28 episode of the SBS variety show My Little Old Boy, Hee-jin Lee and Seok-yong Jung visited Won-hee Im’s home. Won-hee cooked pasta for the two, and their conversation naturally shifted to dating.
Thinking back on her dating past, Hee-jin admitted, "I used to like bad guys. But I only ended up meeting the worst of them." She then shocked everyone by adding, "In my early thirties, a man asked me to marry him—then started dating another woman."
After that incident, Hee-jin said her entire outlook on relationships changed. "Since meeting that man, I lost the will to date," she shared. "If anything even felt like it might turn into something, I pushed it away." She said this went on for about 15 years.
Her revelations didn’t stop there. "Some cheated on me, and one even borrowed my watch and secretly sold it," she said of other exes. "Someone else tried to confine me at home so I couldn’t meet anyone." Hearing this, Dong-yup Shin responded, "You didn’t date a bad guy—you dated a criminal," expressing his concern.
Although dating scared her for a long time, Hee-jin said she’s now opening up to meeting someone new. "I’m open now," she noted, not ruling out the possibility of marriage. She added with a laugh, "My Baby V.O.X members are really pressuring me. They keep telling me to start dating already."
She also spoke candidly about her ideal type and views on dating. "I don’t want to date younger men because it feels like I’d have to support them. Older men feel more stable," she said. Once, the biggest age gap she had was a boyfriend six years older. "Now I’m open to everything—even someone who’s divorced. Given my age, that’s fine," she added, showing a more flexible mindset.
After the broadcast, online reactions included comments like, "I understand how she couldn’t date for 15 years," and "Dating violence isn’t love—it’s a crime."
Hee-jin Lee debuted with Baby V.O.X in 1997, later transitioned to acting, and continues to work actively as an actress.