[talk] EXO-CBX withdrawal? 13th anniversary live 'forced absence', SM contract conflict and discord rumors summarized

Rumors about EXO-CBX's withdrawal are gaining attention again. We've compiled everything from the reason why EXO-CBX was absent from the 13th anniversary live without even being contacted, to the contractual conflict with SM, to the rumors of discord among the members. What is the truth behind the rumors of EXO-CBX's discord?

Did you all watch EXO's 13th anniversary broadcast that was held live on YouTube? The four members Suho, Chanyeol, D.O., and Kai were shown having a good time together. However, *Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin (EXO-CBX)* were not there. The shocking fact is that **"we didn't hear from them"**. Because of this, rumors of EXO-CBX's withdrawal, contractual conflicts, and discord have resurfaced.

1. Only Chen and Baekhyun were 'forced not to attend' EXO's 13th anniversary live

On April 8, 2025, EXO held a live broadcast to celebrate their 13th debut anniversary through YouTube, TikTok, and Weverse. Only Suho, Chanyeol, D.O., and Kai attended the live, and Sehun, who is currently serving in the military, made a surprise phone call. However, Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin were not in attendance as they were not contacted about the broadcast, which was revealed through Baekhyun's bubble message .

He hinted at his forced absence by saying, "I also wanted to do the live, but I wish I had known in advance." This incident reignited rumors of EXO-CBX's withdrawal and discord among fans.

2. When did the Chen Baek-shi contract conflict start?

The incident dates back to June 2023, when the three members of ChenBaekXi notified SM Entertainment of their intention to terminate their contracts, marking the beginning of a full-blown conflict.

They took issue with the excessive contract period, opaque settlement, and suspicions of double contracting, while SM pointed to Big Planet Made and MC Mong, saying that "outside forces made unreasonable proposals to the artists."

Afterwards, an agreement was reached to continue EXO's activities with SM and individual activities with the new agency, but in June 2024, the controversy grew again when Chen and Baekhyun's side held a press conference again to raise the issue of the unfairness of their contract with SM.

3. SM·CBX conflict causes EXO to not attend EXO's 13th anniversary live

SM has since taken steps to seemingly exclude EXO-CBX from EXO-CBX's official schedule. In March 2025, it was reported that SM had unofficially stated that it would be difficult for SM artists and EXO-CBX to appear on KBS's 'Music Bank' at the same time, and in April, EXO- CBX ended up not attending EXO-CBX's 13th anniversary live broadcast without even being contacted .

Many fans are confused by this, raising suspicions such as, “Isn’t this the process of EXO-CBX leaving the group?” and “Were the rumors of discord between the members true?”

4. Is the rumor of EXO-CBX discord really true?

The lack of communication between EXO-CBX and the rest of the members is also being pointed out as a problem. In an interview, leader Suho revealed that he first learned about the EXO-CBX press conference through an article, and admitted that communication between the members was not smooth. This went beyond a simple contractual conflict and served as a factor in making the EXO-CBX discord rumors even more real.

(Excerpt from JTBC EXO Suho interview)

Among fans, there are even rumors going around saying, “Isn’t he really planning to leave?” and “It seems like EXO-CBX will form a new team.” It has not been confirmed yet whether EXO-CBX will leave the group, but it is clear that a series of events, including the deep conflict with SM, forced absence from the 13th anniversary live, and the growing rumors of discord, are driving them further apart.

What do you think about this incident?

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