Actor Song Joong-ki made a special appearance in episode 8 of tvN’s drama “Queen of Tears” , which aired on March 31st, as mafia lawyer Vincenzo, his role in the popular 2021 drama “Vincenzo” .
Apart from the conversation that recalled Song Joong-ki’s representative works, such as “A Werewolf Boy” (2012), “Descendants of the Sun” (2016), “Space Sweepers” (2021), “Vincenzo” (2021) and “Reborn Rich” (2022), Song Joong-ki’s line also reminded viewers of his controversial divorce with actress Song Hye-kyo.
In the scene where Vincenzo shows up as Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won)’s divorce lawyer and discusses the divorce with her husband Baek Hyun-woo (Kim Soo-hyun), Vincenzo gets angry upon hearing the divorce reason “unable to overcome differences” stated by Baek Hyun-woo’s lawyer and he even swears in Italian. Vincenzo explains that such an excuse would make the public think Hae-in’s husband divorced her due to her bad personality. Later, Vincenzo suggests other reasons, such as “They became estranged due to busy schedules” , “They agree to be good friends” , and “They wish the best things for each other” .
Upon hearing that, Hong Hae-in doesn’t agree with the last sentence. However, Vincenzo says, “To what I see, no one has ever done that. It’s just an excuse” .
In response to the scene, netizens pointed out that Song Joong-ki’s lines about divorce reasons are among the most common excuses made by Korean celebrity couples when they break up or divorce. In fact, when Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo divorced in 2019, Song Hye-kyo’s agency explained that “the two were unable to overcome differences in personalities” , while Song Joong-ki’s side refused to disclose details of the divorce and proceeded with the divorce process privately. Therefore, some even wondered if the actor was mocking his ex-wife with the line in “Queen of Tears” .
In addition, not only Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo but many other Korean star couples also used the same reason for their divorces.
In the meantime, Song Joong-ki’s cameo appearance helped “Queen of Tears” break its highest rating record by reaching 16.1%. The actor also gained favorable reviews for his short but impressive performance after facing various controversies in 2023.
2023 was an eventful year for Song Joong-ki. After remarrying Katy Louise Saunders and welcoming his first child, the actor suffered various rumors and harsh criticism from netizens for a long time. It was because he began dating Katy only a few months after divorcing from Song Hye-kyo. Moreover, he also faced controversies over his personality and attitudes during interviews and press events.