“Please show much interest and love for ‘Solo Because Season 2’,” actress Clara Lee posted on social media this week, marking her return to Korean variety television after a decade-long hiatus.
The announcement, accompanied by new profile photos featuring a short bob, has drawn unexpected attention to a star-shaped tattoo near her pubic bone. While the design was previously interpreted by many as a fashion choice, Clara explained that the tattoo was a deliberate decision to conceal a surgical scar.
The scar stems from a life-threatening medical emergency Clara experienced in the mid-2000s. She underwent an appendectomy that became unexpectedly complicated, requiring immediate intervention to address severe internal trauma.
I once had major surgery for appendicitis. Blood had pooled as far as my liver, so I had to undergo emergency surgery.
Clara Lee, Actress
Although she received laparoscopic surgery, the procedure left a larger mark than she had anticipated. She recalled requesting that the surgeons suture the site with care, but the resulting scar was extensive. “I asked them to stitch it beautifully, but unfortunately, a large scar remained,” she said in a past interview.
To address the lingering mark, Clara chose to cover it with a star-shaped tattoo. The design serves a dual purpose: it hides the surgical trace and carries personal meaning, as the star is a reference to the literal translation of her name, “starlight.”
Clara’s return to the domestic screen is set for December 7, when she joins the observational variety show ‘Solo Because Season 2’ on SBS Plus and E Channel. This appearance is her first on a Korean variety program since 2017, when she appeared on JTBC2’s ‘Taming of the Shrew 2’.
The show, which will be co-hosted by Shin Dong-yup and Jo Yoon-hee, follows the daily routines of single individuals. Clara is expected to discuss her life in China and her acting career, which expanded significantly following her rise to fame in Korea for a notable “leggings pitch”.
Her filmography in China includes roles in Sadohaengja: Special Investigation Unit, Jeongseong, Da Hong Pao, and The Wandering Earth 2. In her personal life, Clara married a Korean-American businessman in 2019, though the couple divorced last year after six years of marriage.
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