[Update] SME confirms ongoing dispute with Tao & father, dad says Tao has agreed to leave

I’m a bit late on this because I do pretend to have a life, but remember those rumors about Tao leaving EXO that sounded like any other rumor going around? Well, apparently they actually had some legs to them, because Tao’s dad posted the letter above, and SM Entertainment validated that the conflict exists by confirming it in a statement.

SM Entertainment has released an official response to Tao’s Father’s letter and the rumors. A representative said to the press, “We are seeking a constructive direction with Tao’s side. We were recently in the process of meeting with Tao and Tao’s father in China about various activities, so we think it is unfortunate for a letter like this to be posted. Nevertheless, we will continue to meet with Tao’s father about finding a constructive direction.”

OPERATION OPEN WINDOW WATCH IS A GO

I REPEAT, IT’S A GO

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Update

Tao’s father did an interview with Sina, which this account (@sukaihan) has kindly translated for all of us non-Chinese speakers.

This is important for various reasons, but specifically because it infers that Tao has agreed to quit EXO.

In relation to Tao’s father’s claims, here’s a photo set which fans are claiming documents Tao’s injury history. Note that I have no idea what is true or false in this, but the pictures of the injuries themselves look … gross.