[ARTICLE] EVAN Receiving Backlash When Opening Up About Childhood Cancer Diagnosis

In EVAN’s comeback interview for Death Of Me, he was asked about his childhood self because it is believed that who you were during your childhood is usually closest to you who really are at your core (Weverse Magazine) ¹. He opened up and said he was diagnosed with a malignant lymphoma. Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer which develop when lymphocytes (blood cells) become abnormal (Fox)².

EVAN had posted an animation slideshow as a backstory to his up-coming album on 17/08/2026. After he told his story, fans realised it was based off a real experience he had.

For many EVER’s this was disheartening and many felt sympathetic and maternal towards EVAN based off of social media posts. However, others on the same platforms, more prominently X, are mocking his childhood photos and saying that he only said this for attention and wants streams on his album Death Of Me, releasing 07/09/2026. There are sayings circulating social media that his previous ADHD diagnosis reveal was also “for attention” as it was before he released Ride Or Die and Overflow. Unfortunately, the solo artist had already received hate for leaving the K-pop group, ENHYPEN, which had died down up until antis are now framing him for being an attention-seeker.

Fortunately, there is more love than hate and the fandom is uniting over defending the artist to drown out the hate speech on social media platforms:

---

Examples of such posts on X:

---

---

---

---

Fans believe EVAN isn’t too phased by the hate comments as he has said in an interview for Billboard (Tanaka)⁴ which was released on 28th August 2026, that they are “annoying”. Some even called him “immature” for his decision to become solo – so he owned it!

“I’m immature guys, so what?”

In Death of Me, there is a song called Immature – fun fact, he wanted this to be his first solo song – he says he flipped the hate he got and made it into a song. The teaser (Track Sampler – Immature)⁵ of the song lyrics iconically says:

“Oh this is all I wanna do, oh this is all I wanted.”

REFERENCES:

Cover Image – Weverse Magazine

1. “Weverse Magazine – Everything K-POP and More! – 위버스 매거진.” Weverse.Io, 4 Sept. 2026, https://magazine.weverse.io/article/view/1948?lang=en&artist=EVAN. Accessed 5 Sept. 2026.
2. Fox, Chris. “Lymphoma.” Www.Macmillan.Org.Uk, Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancer Information Development team., 1 Aug. 2025, https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/lymphoma. Accessed 5 Sept. 2026.
3. “EVAN on Instagram: “Chapter. 03 때로는 넘어지고 길을 헤매기도 했지만 우리가 함께이기에 더 이상 쓸쓸하지 않은 밤 다시 한 걸음씩 나의 길을 이어간다. Sometimes I Stumbled and Got Lost, but With You by My Side, the Nights No Longer Feel Lonely. Step by Step, I Continue on My Way. #EVAN #에반 #DEATH_of_ME #Gliddy #글라이디.”” Instagram, EVAN, 19 Aug. 2026, https://www.instagram.com/p/DcOB4ndzTd9/. Accessed 6 Sept. 2026.
4. Tanaka, Stefanie. “EVAN Talks Going Solo, New EP “DEATH of ME” & Breaks Down the Tracks | Billboard News Special.” Billboard, 28 Aug. 2026, https://www.billboard.com/video/evan-solo-new-album-death-of-me-billboard-news-special/. Accessed 6 Sept. 2026.
5. “EVAN on Instagram: “#EVAN “DEATH of ME” Track Sampler – Immature #에반 #DEATH_of_ME #Immature.”” Instagram, EVAN, 25 Aug. 2026, https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dcdeu8kT2Qs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&stkn=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==. Accessed 6 Sept. 2026.