NewJeans’ Hanni Faces Backlash for Allegedly Ignoring Asian Fans and Only Signing Autographs for Western Fans

Recently, a fan from China shared their experience with Hanni of NewJeans following a public appearance, claiming that the idol neglected her Asian fans while giving autographs exclusively to Western attendees.

Here is the complete account from the Chinese netizen:

“I hesitated before deciding to write this. Typically, when I discover a less-than-ideal side of someone, I just move on quietly. [To be honest, I often overlook these things because they are male, and I tend to think they all behave similarly.] However, this time, I encountered a member of a girl group I genuinely admire. Just to clarify, I am more fond of a different member, but I had a positive impression of her nonetheless. I even supported her through her fan café and shared photos of my experience.

After some reflection, I felt compelled to post about this incident. I appreciate all female idols, and even if some don’t resonate with me as strongly, I refrain from speaking ill of them.

But because of her behavior during that offline event, I found myself in tears for quite a while, questioning what I could have done wrong. My desire to support her unconditionally made me approach friends for their thoughts on her conduct, but no one could comprehend or defend her actions. Though my admiration for Kpop has already diminished, it was still painful to witness an idol, who publicly claims to be kind to her supporters, act differently in private. If it had been a male idol, I might have brushed it off. Yet, the situation felt different due to this girl group’s unique journey… I also lacked the confidence to confront her publicly, fearing backlash from her fanbase, who might criticize me. Still, I find myself curious about how they might try to defend her, perhaps to ease my own discomfort… Apologies for the jumbled beginning. It’s been several days since the incident, and those moments keep replaying in my mind…

Considering the event’s setup, it was highly crowded, and I ended up buying a ladder to capture photos of her, hauling it around for nearly 8 hours… By the time I returned home, my shoulders were sore. Such experiences are common at offline events, and I willingly endured all of it, so I’m not complaining about that. What truly upset me was witnessing her smile while giving autographs to a small group of Western individuals, even going as far as to ask for their names. Yet, many of those foreigners seemed to be there just for fun and left as soon as they got her signatures. My friend stayed by my side the whole time as I waited solo until she exited the event. I called out to her, but it was as if I didn’t exist. It wasn’t just about missing out on an autograph—I could easily get one back home. The real issue was her demeanor… I told her, ‘I’m from China and have been waiting for 8 hours…’ but she didn’t even acknowledge me. I initially thought that maybe she was simply exhausted, but honestly, if you are walking down a short path and hear your name, wouldn’t you at least glance back? All my friends who saw the video concluded that her behavior was rude and indicative of a poor character… It’s disheartening when someone presents a different persona in public versus how they act in private. I don’t want to delve deeper into this… After being overlooked, I took a moment to collect myself, held back my tears, and my friend took me home. I kept pondering: Did I do something wrong? Perhaps if there hadn’t been footage showing her kindness to those foreigners, the situation wouldn’t have stung as much…”

Here are some reactions from Chinese netizens commenting on the post:

I just saw the video you shared, and it’s truly heartbreaking. You called her name, and she didn’t even acknowledge you. There were only a few people there. Don’t waste your time on her again; she’s not worth it. Especially since you didn’t even get her autograph—why wait for someone who doesn’t even smile?
Honestly, anyone would choose to leave. The Kpop scene is disappointing. These idols really don’t deserve the dedication.
Stop making excuses for her. My own idol was filming late and still took time to greet and chat with fans when they returned to the hotel at 3 or 4 a.m. It only proves that she’s unworthy of your energy.

Source: Weibo, X

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