Zhang Yixing or Lay sparked controversy because he "accidentally" mentioned EXO at a recent event. On October 4, 2023, Lay appeared at the DNA Music & Arts Festival in Guangdong, China. When introducing himself at the event, Lay almost said, "Hi everyone, I'm Lay EXO". However, as soon as he mentioned EXO's name, the male singer suddenly stopped and showed an embarrassed expression. 

Reporting from KBIZoom on October 8, 2023, the keyword "Zhang Yixing Almost Mentioned EXO" rose to second place in the top searches on Chinese social media along with a video. When the video went viral, Chinese netizens and global K-pop fans criticized Lay and accused him of acting as if he had accidentally mentioned his former group. 

Netizens believe that Lay is trying to create a situation to gain fame from the name EXO even though he is no longer a member of the group. Even before leaving SM Entertainment, he had not participated in EXO activities for a long time or introduced himself by the name EXO. This is why Lay's mention of EXO's name sounds unnatural to many people. 

On the other hand, some fans considered it a small mistake and insisted that he only left SM Entertainment, but remained a member of EXO. Fans claim that Lay never left the boy group. Meanwhile, Lay, whose real name is Zhang Yixing, is a rapper, singer, songwriter, dancer, actor, producer and entrepreneur. 

He debuted with EXO in 2012 and became part of the EXO-M sub unit. In 2015, Lay founded an agency for his solo activities and released the autobiography "Standing Firm at 24". In the same year, Lay made his acting debut in the film "Ex-Files 2: The Backup Strikes Back" as a supporting actor. 

Since then, Lay has starred in a number of films, such as "Royal Treasure", "Kung Fu Yoga", "The Island", "No More Bets", and many more. While developing his acting career, Lay has also released a series of solo albums and mini albums, including "Lay 02 Sheep", "Namanana", "Lit", "Producer", "Lose Control", "Winter Special Gift", "Honey" , "East", and "West".

In fact, the debate about Lay and EXO's relationship has been going on for a long time. In 2022, Lay shocked all EXO-L (EXO's fandom) when he announced that he was leaving SM Entertainment through a handwritten letter when EXO celebrated their 10th debut anniversary. Therefore, fans tend to become very sensitive whenever Lay mentions EXO's name.

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