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Who is Lauren Tsai, the artist reportedly dating Park Seo Joon?
Chinese-American artist Lauren Tsai recently made headlines after she was rumored to be dating South Korean actor Park Seo Joon.
The two were reportedly recently spotted together in Japan and also shared Instagram posts taken at the same location, according to a report by Taiwanese media outlet ETtoday on May 23 via The Korea Times.
Eagle-eyed netizens also noticed that Park's close friend, fellow actor Choi Woo Shik, is following Tsai on social media.
In response to these reports, Park’s agency Awesome ENT, as cited by Korean media outlet Soompi, commented, “Park Seo Joon was carrying out overseas activities for attendance at a brand event recently, and artists and related individuals of diverse fields were invited to this event. We ask for your understanding in not being able to provide confirmation on any aspects of his personal life beyond information about his official activities.”
But who exactly is Lauren Tsai? Here are five things to know about her.
1. She appeared in a reality show
Lauren was born in 1998 in Wellesley, Massachusetts. When she was seven years old, her family moved to Honolulu, Hawaii.
Tsai began her career in television when she was 18 years old after she was casted in the 2016 season of “Terrace House: Aloha State” — a Japanese reality show that films six strangers living in a house together for four months, all while being observed by a panel of six commentators.
In an interview with the fashion brand Ssense, Lauren revealed that instead of going to college, she chose to move to Tokyo and join the reality TV show.
“It was definitely from a place of fear. It was an opportunity that I had in front of me that I could take but the only reason I wouldn’t do it was because I was scared of it,” the model and actress shared.
“I’m more grateful than ever that I decided not to go to college and to go on the show instead, to move to Tokyo after and live a life that is a little bit different. I knew that if I was going to go to art school, it was because I wanted to be able to tell people that I was going to a good art school. It didn’t feel like something that I honestly felt I wanted to do. I’m glad I didn’t get the things that I thought I wanted back then,” Lauren added.
2. She is a model
Shortly after the show wrapped, Tsai moved to Tokyo where she started her modeling career.
In an interview with Dew Magazine, Lauren said that she got into an art college gave it up for her modeling career in Japan.
Since then, the 26-year-old has appeared in numerous magazines in Japan and Hawaii. She has walked the runway for luxury designers such as Marc Jacobs and Fendi, and has graced the pages of major fashion magazines like Vogue and Elle.
3. She is also an actress
In 2019, she landed her first acting job when she starred in the third and final season of the Marvel FX series “Legion” as Switch, a young mutant who has time-traveling abilities.
The actress has also been featured in two other television series, including “Game of Spy.” In 2021, she appeared in the Netflix movie “Moxie” as Claudia.
4. She is a visual artist
Aside from being a model and an actress, Lauren is also a visual artist working with animation, illustration, and art direction. Her signature art explores themes of escapism and fantasy.
In fact, she runs an art account under the username unreal.is.me! (Go follow her!)
Since then, she has designed collections for renowned brands such as Marc Jacobs, Nike, and Casetify. She has also released the illustrated books, “It’s All For You” and “Passenger Seat.”
In a past interview with Women's Wear Daily, Lauren shared that she considers her “sketchbook” as her “most cherished item.”
“It’s really exciting because my sketchbook is probably my most cherished item. I feel like I’ve lived in it for my whole life. Art is how I understand my life,” she said.
“I carry my sketchbook when I’m traveling, doodling in it when I was in school, when I’m happy, when I’m sad. It’s everything for me,” Lauren added.
In February 2024, the visual artist was among the guest speakers at Graphika Manila, a conference all about creativity that brings together design professionals and students.
5. She is a director
Lauren has also tried her hands at directing, showing how talented an artist she is. In September 2023, she directed the animated music video for Boygenius’ song “Cool About It.” She is also working on a project with film and TV production house, A24.
— CDC, GMA Integrated News
