Hollywood actress Margaret Qualley is facing backlash for making comments that some fans find racially insensitive toward BLACKPINK's Jennie.

Jennie attended the "Chanel 2025 Spring-Summer Ready-to-Wear Show" in Paris on October 1 (local time) as an official ambassador. She turned heads in a teal sweater and hot pants, showcasing her stunning new blonde hair.

In an interview with WWD, Jennie shared, "This is my new look. With my blonde hair and the pop color I’ve chosen, I hope to show a different side of myself." She teased that this new look might hint at her upcoming album, adding, "I can’t share much yet, but more about my personal mantra will come soon."

Jennie is set to return to her solo career after about a year with her new single "Mantra," releasing on the 11th. This will be her first solo track since last October's special single "You & Me." When asked about the new album, she playfully said, "That’s a little secret I want to keep until next week."

During the fashion show, Jennie took pictures and chatted with several stars, including Margaret Qualley. In a video that circulated online, Qualley touched Jennie’s blonde hair and asked, "Is this really your hair?" When Jennie replied no, Qualley remarked, "It looks real."

This moment sparked criticism from fans both in South Korea and around the world, who accused Qualley of making disrespectful comments. Critics noted that touching someone’s hair without permission and questioning whether a non-white person could have blonde hair is inappropriate and can be seen as racial discrimination.

The controversy deepened when footage showed Qualley avoiding Jennie’s attempt at a kiss, which raised eyebrows. Known for her warm displays of affection with fellow Hollywood stars, this incident added to the ongoing debate.

Margaret Qualley, daughter of famous actress Andie MacDowell, has starred in films like "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," "Death Note," and "My New York Diary." She is also a Chanel ambassador alongside Jennie.

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Hwanhee's agency, BT Entertainment, is firing back after serious fairness allegations were raised regarding the popular show ‘King of Singers Season 2’. They’ve denied all accusations and promised strong legal action for defamation.

On February 5th, the agency issued a statement through their official fan cafe, saying, “We want to correct the false claims.”

They explained that Hwanhee was initially approached to join the show in August 2024 by the production team. However, after checking with the event planning company, Dion Communication, they confirmed Hwanhee had no connection to the show or any related performances.

Despite this, the agency pointed out that certain media outlets published unverified articles, wrongly suggesting that Hwanhee’s involvement could compromise the fairness of the program.

BT Entertainment was quick to defend their artist, stressing the damage done to both Hwanhee's reputation and the agency itself due to these false claims. They added, "This has caused great harm to Hwanhee, who joined the program after careful consideration."

The statement didn’t stop there. BT Entertainment made it clear that they won’t stand for any further defamation. They said, “We are taking legal action against these baseless reports” and emphasized their commitment to protecting Hwanhee from any further harm.

They also reassured their fans, stating, “We will take swift action against any future misinformation to avoid any further harm to Hwanhee and his supporters.”

This controversy started after a media outlet raised concerns on January 23rd about Hwanhee’s participation in the show. The report claimed that BT Entertainment’s CEO, who is also a director at Dion Communication, had invested 1.1 billion KRW in the ‘King of Singers Season 2’ concert, leading to suspicions of favoritism towards certain contestants.

In the meantime, ‘King of Singers Season 2’ continues its intense competition, with Hwanhee making it to the semifinals. Fans are watching closely as he currently holds 1st place in the first round of the semifinals, cementing his position as a strong contender to represent Korea in the Korea-Japan King of Kings battle.

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