It seems BLACKPINK (블랙핑크) member Jennie (제니) has recently found herself in a bit of a controversy. The star recently became the target of backlash from netizens after a vlog showed her smoking indoors – but that may be the tip of the iceberg.
Recently, a clip from the popular idol’s vlog went viral after it allegedly showed Jennie vaping. In the clip, the star appeared to be smoking a vape while getting her makeup done inside a hotel room in Italy. She also apparently exhaled the smoke towards a nearby staff member’s face. Understandably, the situation caused many netizens to criticise her for smoking indoors and for her rude behaviour towards her staff members.
While the controversial clip was removed from the vlog, Jennie could now face legal punishment for her actions because it goes against Italian law. The country’s legal system bans individuals from smoking in enclosed places, including indoor workplaces and public places like hotels. However, one may smoke indoors in designated rooms that comply with strict technical standards.
Following her controversial vlog, a netizen reported Jennie to the Korean embassy in Italy to take legal action against the singer. Her agency, Odd Atelier, is now looking into the situation and is investigating the claims against the 28-year-old. As for her punishment, the BLACKPINK star could be fined for smoking indoors, but that has yet to be confirmed.
In the meantime, fans are calling out Odd Atelier for their mismanagement of the situation. Some even argued that the agency needs to hire a professional PR team, given how poorly the current staff handled the issue. Others also brought up other instances of Odd Atelier not properly promoting their sole artist, including not posting about Jennie’s comeback and event appearances.
As of now, fans continue to rally support for the young star but what are your thoughts on this situation?
Here’s the now-deleted clip from Jennie’s vlog:
Sources: Xsports, Naver, Koreaboo
