A viral moment from BLACKPINK member Jennie’s performance at the 2025 Melon Music Awards has sparked widespread speculation that she has upstaged her former partners, but the truth behind the footage reveals a different story.
During her December 20 performance at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Jennie performed her hit single “Like Jennie,” which includes the lyrics “No, I’m not thinking about any ex, I know they miss me.”
As she said this line, fans captured footage showing her smiling and looking out at the audience, immediately suggesting on social media that she was directing the message to her rumored ex-partners, EXO’s Kai and BIGBANG’s G-Dragon, both of whom were at the event, according to Koreaboo.
The clip quickly went viral across multiple platforms, with fans creating memes and comments about the perceived hue. Dispatch previously reported that Jennie was dating Kai in 2019, though the relationship ended shortly after it was discovered and rumors of a relationship with G-Dragon circulated in 2021 following YG Entertainment’s ambiguous response.
However, checking the seating arrangements during Jennie’s performance reveals that neither artist was actually in the audience at the time. Kai had already left the venue after EXO’s previous performance, while G-Dragon was not seated in the artist section during Jennie’s moment on stage. Audience footage confirms that the artist’s seating area did not feature any of her alleged exes present when she performed “Like Jennie.”
The text itself is not new and was written months before the MMA ceremony. “Like Jennie” was released as the fourth single from her debut solo album Ruby in March 2025, Genius reported. In interviews about the track, Jennie explained that the song celebrates her individuality and confidence rather than targeting specific individuals.
The night turned out to be historic for Jennie, despite the viral speculation. She became the first solo artist in MMA history to win Record of the Year (Daesang), also taking home the Top 10 Artist and Millions Top 10 awards. During her emotional acceptance speech, she thanked her 50 backup dancers, production team, and expressed missing her BLACKPINK members.
Although the “exes” text generated a stir on social media, evidence shows that the viral moment was a coincidence rather than a deliberate shade towards anyone who was present, as per Sportkeeda.
