On September 19, BLACKPINK’s Jennie made headlines when she graced the cover of Harper’s Bazaar US’s October 2024 issue. The idol rocked a fresh, never-before-seen look and gave an interview in which she opened up about both her career and personal life.
During the interview, Jennie directly addressed the recent smoking controversy for the first time, saying: “What can I do? If K-netizens think it’s wrong, then I have to make amends. It’s like… I understand why people are angry. It’s about culture, it’s about history. It’s about time. And I can’t fight against time.“
Jennie’s response immediately caused a stir on social media. Many netizens were outraged, accusing her of expressing an “I’m sorry because you think it’s wrong” attitude, rather than acknowledging her own wrongdoing. They argued that apologizing for blowing smoke in someone’s face is simply common courtesy, not a matter of “culture, history, or time” as Jennie put it.
However, some fans defended Jennie, claiming that netizens were misinterpreting her words and misunderstanding the BLACKPINK member’s intentions. This remains a hotly debated topic online.
The smoking incident originally surfaced on July 8. In a vlog posted to her personal YouTube channel, BLACKPINK’s Jennie was spotted smoking what appeared to be a vape. While getting her makeup done for Jacquemus’s show in Italy, the idol was seen putting a suspicious object to her mouth and then exhaling smoke. The smoke was blown directly at the staff members who were doing her makeup.
The moment immediately went viral on social media. In an attempt to mitigate the backlash, Jennie’s team cut the footage from the vlog, but the issue continued to attract massive attention. The growing outrage led to heavy criticism of Jennie, putting her at risk of sanctions, facing backlash from Korean media, and being labeled as “abusing power.” Her company revealed that Jennie had personally apologized to the staff involved and was reflecting on her actions, but this was not enough to quell the public outrage.
Source: K14
