Jennie’s birthday short-form video has sparked controversy.
On the 15th, Jennie shared several videos on her personal social media account with the brief caption “thirtyyyyyy.” The videos show Jennie celebrating her 30th birthday with a character cake in a “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” decorated space.
However, the video drew backlash. In the footage, staff are seen decorating Jennie with sunglasses and a headband while she holds a cake. They then place a candle in her mouth and light it with a torch, a scene critics say resembles smoking.
Netizens pointed to Jennie’s past indoor smoking controversy, commenting, “Given the past controversy, more caution was needed,” “The scene with the candle in her mouth was unnecessary,” “As a fan, I’m concerned about Jennie’s image,” and “She should avoid actions that might cause further controversy.”
Conversely, some reactions noted, “This is a common humorous act in Reels or short-form content, and it’s being overly interpreted,” “It’s just a birthday concept; linking it to smoking is unreasonable,” and “It’s too harsh to censor daily content over a past controversy.”
Previously, in 2024, Jennie sparked controversy when she was caught smoking indoors while receiving makeup. The incident escalated into an abuse of power controversy as staff were also exposed to the smoke.
Later, her agency, Odd Atelier (OA), sincerely apologized to everyone who felt uncomfortable due to Jennie’s actions, stating that she reflected on smoking indoors and causing inconvenience to other staff.
The agency added that Jennie personally contacted the staff present at the scene to apologize. They also expressed apologies to disappointed fans, promising to present a more mature and improved image in the future.
Image source: Jennie
