Alleged Staff Member Defending BLACKPINK’s Jennie From Smoking Controversy Exposed As An Impersonator
BLACKPINK member Jennie has been caught up in a controversy over indoor smoking, which continues to bring her intense public backlash.
Jennie smoking Vape 💨 in her vlog pic.twitter.com/yi3DH8DsQW
— no na (@nona15648321) July 8, 2024
The footage was featured in her own vlog from Capri, where the idol was seen smoking an e-cigarette while getting ready. Apart from the fact that indoor smoking is illegal in Italy, many people also criticized her for allegedly blowing smoke into her staff members’ faces. As the backlash kept mounting, Jennie’s label, Odd Atelier, posted an official apology statement.
안녕하세요.
OA엔터테인먼트입니다.지난 2일 공개된 콘텐츠 내 제니의 행동에 불편함을 느끼신 모든 분께 진심으로 사과의 말씀을 전합니다.
제니 또한 실내에서 흡연한 점, 그로 인해 다른 스태프분들에게 피해를 드린 점에 대해 반성하고 있으며 당시 현장에 있던 스태프에게도 직접 연락을 취해… pic.twitter.com/pAQnXOBg19
— OA (@oddatelier) July 9, 2024
However, on July 11, KST, an anonymous individual claiming to be a staff member who was at the site of the incident stepped forward to defend the idol against the criticism. This individual’s testimony was reported in detail in a Sports Chosun article, where they explained that it was all just a matter of bad timing.
While the staff was looking for the lip product, Jennie had taken a drag of a bubble pen that was sold at the convenience store. It just so happened that the timing of her blowing the smoke out matched. She kept apologizing even after the show ended, and the staff involved also said that it was fine because they were also smokers. Although it is a problem that the smoke brushed by the top of the staff’s head, I think it’s not right for her past actions to be mentioned together as part of an attitude controversy [with this issue.] As her IRL friend, I’m leaving a comment as I feel upset that she is being misunderstood like this.
— On site staff
However, according to a later report by Xports News, the person who provided this testimony defending Jennie was not an actual on-site staff member. The outlet claimed that in the process of confirming the validity of this individual’s account, it was revealed that they were an impersonator, speculated to be a fan of the idol.
Meanwhile, Jennie’s smoking controversy has created a heated debate online about how proportional the backlash is to her actions. Read more about it here.
