After learning that Tao has set up a personal studio for his solo activities in China, SM Entertainment has responded to the news.

On June 12th, a representative of the agency revealed, “We know about the news of Tao’s personal studio. Currently, we are still discussing the direction of Tao’s career. We are also currently discussing his Chinese activities with him and his dad. We hope to discover more possibilities for Tao’s career through these discussions.”

The latest wave of departure speculations began back in April with Tao’s father posting an emotional letter on Weibo, citing health problems as one of the reasons for him to bring Tao “back home.” In response, SM Entertainment confirmed that there has been an ongoing dispute, but did not provide any in-depth details. At the same time, rumours of Tao being bullied surfaced and circulated among the netizens.

While Tao’s father spoke to Sina in an exclusive interview, Tao himself remained silent until April 26th, when he took to his Weibo account to say sorry and thank you, without elaborating on who the message was directed to. He then made several individual appearances, including an event for his solo endorsement deal in China. While EXO made a comeback for “Love Me Right” with 9 members, Tao has been resting in the United States.

Source: OSEN