Jennie’s Vaping Video Goes Viral, Leading to Backlash

Jennie’s character has been up for debate on a YouTube channel owned by Entertainment reporter-turned-YouTuber Lee Jin Ho after her controversial vape video went viral.

A Video titled “BLACKPINK Jennie’s Real Character Revealed? The Staff’s Faces Don’t Look Good…” was uploaded to the channel on Tuesday. The host, Lee Jin Ho, shared his thoughts on Jennie getting caught smoking on camera.

In Jennie’s most recent vlog, she was caught smoking her vape while getting her makeup done with staff present. The problematic scene quickly spread, attracting criticism from viewers online.

“It’s not a problem for an adult to smoke, but the fact that she blew smoke toward her staff has led it to be perceived as a flaw of character,” Lee Jin Ho shared as he continued with allegations from industry insiders.

“Even among her members, Jennie is known to be assertive and strong-willed. The most notable case was her choice of outfits. Girl groups usually have multiple outfits prepared for members to choose from instead of having one outfit made for a specific member. Because Jennie has a distinct sense of style, she usually chooses her outfits first. There were alleged criticisms that she’s self-centered, but from a celebrity’s perspective, isn’t it natural to want to stand out and look the best? There are also counterarguments that her behavior is not unreasonable because she’s meticulous about managing her self-image.” he shared.

Lee criticized Jennie’s vaping by saying, “Honestly, it’s rude. It’s common courtesy to either go outside to smoke or at least not smoke in front of the staff if smoking indoors.” However, he explained, “Allegedly, Jennie didn’t blow smoke toward her staff. The video was zoomed in, making it appear as if they were face-to-face. In reality, they were a bit further apart than it appears in her vlog.”

He continued, “According to the staff on-site, plenty of celebrities smoke during photo shoots or makeup sessions. Both men and women allegedly vape e-cigarettes. There seems to be an unspoken rule in the industry.”

Jennie’s agency, ODD ATELIER, wrote, “We sincerely apologize to everyone who felt uncomfortable with Jennie’s behavior in the vlog released on July 2.”

Jennie has been the subject of various controversies, from dating rumors to debates on whether or not her behavior was appropriate.

In 2022, she sparked dating rumors after a photo of Jennie with a man presumed to be V was leaked. YG Entertainment stated they were investigating the leak and planned legal action.

She was swept in another controversy concerning the explicit scenes in HBO’s The Idol, where she made her acting debut. The show received criticism for the cast’s explicit portrayal of provocative scenes, including Jennie. The Idol was canceled after five episodes.