Blackpink's Lisa apologises over resurfaced racial slur

Blackpink member Lisa has apologised after footage emerged showing members of the K-pop group using a racial slur while rapping as teenagers.

Speaking to Variety at the premiere of her feature documentary, Always Lalisa, the 29-year-old Thai singer said she had since learned why the language was unacceptable. The film covers the controversy and its effect on her before her solo Coachella performance in Indio, California, in 2025.

Apology at documentary premiere

"I really have to apologise," Lisa said. "To be honest, I'm Thai and I grew up in Thailand. There isn't any education for that, so at the time, I didn't know."

She added: "Now I've learned and got educated about that, and I would never [do it again]. This is not OK. Seriously."

The video was recorded when Blackpink's members were young trainees at South Korean label YG Entertainment. It was leaked shortly before Lisa's solo appearance at Coachella.

"Everything is real. It's all there," Lisa said of the documentary. "I was just sad because I really wanted to focus on my performance, but things happened, and you can't control stuff. But I fought through it."

From Thailand to global stardom

Lisa moved from Thailand to South Korea at the age of 14 and trained for five years before debuting with Blackpink in 2016.

The four-member group has broken numerous chart records and holds the record for the highest-selling tour by a female group. Lisa launched her solo career in 2021 with Lalisa and Money, with both singles reaching Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

In 2023, Money received a Guinness World Record as the first K-pop track by a solo artist to reach one billion Spotify streams.

Her work has extended beyond music. Lisa made her mainstream acting debut in the third season of HBO's The White Lotus last year, and is due to appear next in Netflix film Tygo, a spin-off from the Extraction action franchise.

She has also fronted luxury brands owned by LVMH, including Celine and Bulgari.

Personal-life speculation

Earlier this year, reports suggested Lisa had quietly split from billionaire boyfriend Frederic Arnault, 31, an LVMH heir. Speculation had circulated for months after he was absent from her birthday celebration in March.

Vanity Fair further suggested in a recent cover story that the pair appeared to have ended their relationship. The publication said it was barred from asking Lisa questions about her private life or relationship.

Asked whether she had ever been "a heartbreaker", Lisa became emotional and replied: "No. I'm the one who got that a lot. I feel like I got heartbroken a lot."

Picture courtesy of Variety

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19 September 2026