Blackpink’s Jennie apologizes for vaping indoors after public backlash
By Catherine Nicholls, CNN
(CNN) — Jennie Kim, a singer in the K-pop supergroup Blackpink, has apologized after a video of her vaping indoors sparked a backlash across South Korea.
According to CNN affiliate JTBC news, the 28-year-old star uploaded a video to her personal YouTube channel that included footage of herself vaping in a room while getting her hair and make-up done. Stylists appear very close to her face as she breathes out. Though the footage was taken down from Kim’s channel, a clip of her vaping spread across the internet.
Some of the singer’s fans quickly took to social media to criticize her, expressing their disappointment that she was vaping, especially in an enclosed room close to other people.
Others stuck by the celebrity and posted their support, noting that it is a personal choice whether or not to vape.
Odd Atelier, a label founded by Kim in November last year, posted the star’s apology to X, writing that “Jennie acknowledges and deeply regrets her mistake of vaping indoors and causing inconvenience to the staff.”
She personally apologized to the staff on-site, Odd Atelier continued, adding that “we apologize to her fans who have been disappointed through this incident. We hope to prevent this from reoccurring in the future.”
K-pop stars regularly face immense public scrutiny under the spotlight.
In March, singer Karina apologized to her fans after it was revealed that she was in a relationship with actor Lee Jae-wook.
Some outraged fans sent a truck with an electronic billboard to the headquarters of Karina’s agency, according to the Chosun Ilbo newspaper, which published a photo of the sign. “Do you not get enough love from your fans?” it read. “Why did you choose to betray your fans?”
Just five weeks later, the couple split, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap, citing statements from the pair’s respective representatives.
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CNN’s Gawon Bae contributed to this report. Previous reporting by CNN’s Jessie Yeung and Yoonjung Seo.
