Following her indoor vaping scandal, a past attitude controversy concerning BLACKPINK's Jennie while dining at a restaurant has resurfaced.
On July 8, allegations came out that Jennie smoking indoors. The issue stemmed from a scene in a vlog released by Jennie to her YouTube channel on June 2.
The video shows Jennie getting her makeup done by a staff member before attending an event. In the scene, Jennie appears to be vaping in close proximity to her makeup artist. Some fans claimed that what Jennie was holding was a vitamin inhaler or a diffuser, but it was confirmed to be an electronic cigarette.
Jennie smoking Vape 💨 in her vlog pic.twitter.com/yi3DH8DsQW
— no na (@nona15648321) July 8, 2024
Since she was born in 1996, Jennie, as an adult, has had the freedom to smoke. However, indoor smoking is illegal in South Korea. Some netizens speculated that the location was Capri, Italy, and requested an investigation from the Korean Embassy in Italy regarding Jennie's indoor smoking, as it is illegal to smoke in enclosed spaces in the country.
The main issue lies in Jennie exhaling smoke near her staff, potentially exposing them to secondhand smoke. Experts state that both direct and secondhand smoking can increase the risk of lung cancer, with finer smoke particles reaching deeper into the lungs.
Most netizens criticized Jennie for not adhering to basic etiquette and common sense, expressing disappointment in her behavior. As the controversy spread, Jennie deleted the problematic scene and issued an apology via her company. In the past, celebrities like actor Ji Chang Wook, singer Lim Young Wong, and singer Meenoi issued official apologies following similar controversies.
The indoor smoking incident also reignited a previous controversy from five years ago involving Jennie allegedly engaging in "power trip" behavior at a gopchang (grilled intestines) restaurant. Jennie reportedly parked illegally in front of the restaurant and asked the staff to cook the gopchang, which is usually self-cooked by customers.
At the time, a famous gopchang restaurant owner, Mr. A, shared a story about Jennie on SBS PowerFM's "Bae Sung-jae's Ten." He recalled that at the time, a car had illegally parked in front of their restaurant, and when informed they would incur fines, Jennie's manager stated that would be no problem. He then revealed that two coordinators and two managers asked for the food to be cooked for them.
He stated, "Around 11 PM, a Benz parked in front of our restaurant. When we asked the manager to valet the car due to possible fines, the manager said, 'It's okay if we get fined.' That was the first time I heard something like that. Two coordinators and two managers came out and asked if the food could be cooked for them. I found out the person they were with was a celebrity. I wondered who could be so demanding. I then found it was Jennie from BLACKPINK. I thought, 'I guess it's okay for her to act like that.'"
What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!
In other news, Jennie has been focusing on her solo activities since establishing her independent label, ODD ATELIER, in November 2023.
In March, she released the song "Slow Motion" with Brockhampton vocalist Matt Champion. She also featured as a vocalist on Zico's new single "SPOT!" released on April 26, which topped domestic and international music charts.
She is currently working on a new solo album, though the release date is yet to be confirmed.
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Written by Alexa Lopez
