On January 16, Jennie posted a short clip on her personal SNS to celebrate her 30th birthday. In the video, she holds a cake while friends put on sunglasses and a playful headband. Jennie then puts a long birthday candle in her mouth, lights it using a torch, places it on the cake and blows it out, with the smoke drifting towards the camera. He soon takes off his sunglasses and smiles brightly, clearly enjoying the celebration.
While the clip may have been intended as a lighthearted and creative way to celebrate his birthday, some viewers expressed disappointment, pointing out that the gesture could be reminiscent of smoking. This reaction is largely tied to Jennie’s past controversy over indoor and second-hand smoking.
In 2024, Jennie faced strong backlash after footage emerged of her using an e-cigarette indoors during a shoot in Capri, Italy, and exhaling smoke near staff members. At the time, her side acknowledged the incident, confirmed that she had personally apologized to the staff involved, and issued an official apology through her agency.
Because of this story, the birthday video drew criticism from some netizens, who questioned whether the images were an appropriate choice given the previous incident. Many pointed out that there were countless ways to light birthday candles, making this particular method useless and overlooked, even though there was no intention of referring to smoking.
Others, however, defended Jennie, arguing that the video was simply a playful birthday moment with no deeper meaning, and that it was unfair to overanalyze a celebratory clip meant to be fun and personal.
However, critics have countered that public figures, especially those who have previously apologized for similar controversies, should be more careful about how their actions might be perceived. They argued that moments like this can unintentionally call into question the sincerity of past apologies.
While opinions continue to diverge, Jennie’s birthday video highlights how controversies from the past can linger, influencing how even casual and celebratory content is interpreted by the public.
Sources: Naver
