Despite facing backlash for her indoor vaping scandal, BLACKPINK’s Jennie is now facing renewed criticism for a past incident involving her behavior at a restaurant.
On July 8, it was alleged that Jennie had been smoking indoors. This accusation arose from a scene in a vlog that Jennie had posted on her YouTube channel on June 2.
The video captures Jennie receiving assistance with her makeup from a staff member prior to attending an event. During the clip, fans noticed Jennie appeared to be vaping near her makeup artist. Although some speculated that she may have been using a vitamin inhaler or diffuser, it was later confirmed that she was in fact using an electronic cigarette.
Jennie smoking Vape 💨 in her vlog pic.twitter.com/yi3DH8DsQW
— no na (@nona15648321) July 8, 2024
Ever since her birth in 1996, Jennie has been free to smoke as an adult. However, the act of smoking indoors is prohibited in South Korea. Following rumors that Jennie was seen smoking in Capri, Italy, some netizens urged the Korean Embassy in Italy to investigate the situation, as smoking in enclosed spaces is also against the law in Italy.
The primary concern is that Jennie is releasing smoke near her employees, which could potentially expose them to secondhand smoke. According to experts, both direct and secondhand smoking can heighten the chances of developing lung cancer as the smaller smoke particles can penetrate deeper into the lungs.
Despite receiving backlash from netizens for her lack of basic etiquette and common sense, Jennie was quick to address the issue by deleting the controversial scene and issuing a public apology through her company. This response is in line with the actions of other celebrities, such as actor Ji Chang Wook, singer Lim Young Wong, and singer Meenoi, who have also issued official apologies in the past after facing similar controversies.
The recent indoor smoking incident brought back an old controversy from five years ago regarding allegations that Jennie had displayed “power trip”behavior at a gopchang (grilled intestines) restaurant. It was reported that Jennie had parked her car illegally in front of the restaurant and requested the staff to cook the gopchang, a dish that is typically self-cooked by customers.
During an appearance on SBS PowerFM’s “Bae Sung-jae’s Ten,”Mr. A, a renowned owner of a gopchang restaurant, recounted a story involving Jennie. He remembered how a car had unlawfully parked in front of their establishment and, upon learning of potential fines, Jennie’s manager confidently assured them it would not be an issue. He went on to disclose that two coordinators and two managers had requested food to be prepared for them at the time.
The witness recalled, “At approximately 11 PM, a Mercedes-Benz pulled up in front of our restaurant. Upon informing the manager that valet service was necessary to avoid potential fines, he nonchalantly replied, ‘It’s fine if we get fined.’ This was the first time I had encountered such an attitude. Shortly after, two coordinators and two managers emerged and requested that food be prepared for them. It was later revealed that they were accompanying a well-known celebrity, Jennie from BLACKPINK. I couldn’t help but think, ‘I suppose it’s acceptable for her to behave in such a demanding manner.’”
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Since establishing her independent label, ODD ATELIER, in November 2023, Jennie has been devoting her attention to her solo projects.
In March, she collaborated with Brockhampton vocalist Matt Champion in releasing the song “Slow Motion.”She also lent her vocals to Zico’s latest single “SPOT!,”which was released on April 26 and achieved success on both domestic and international music charts.
She is currently in the process of creating a new solo album, but the release date has not been finalized yet.
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