On Wednesday, October 2, BLACKPINK's Jennie was spotted attending the CHANEL show for the 2024 Paris Fashion Week. The idol was dressed in a bright blue long-sleeve sweater and a plaid blue-green mini skirt. She paired her outfits with a long pearl necklace, the classic black CHANEL bag, black heels, and a long wig.
As the idol went around the red carpet area engaging with fellow attendees and reporters, one such interaction with American actress Margaret Qualley caught fans' eyes. The two celebrities exchanged greetings, and this was followed by Qualley touching Jennie's hair and asking if it was real.
While the idol answered that it wasn't with a slight smile, fans speculated that she was uncomfortable with the interaction. Many people criticized the actress for touching Jennie's hair without her consent and called her out for alleged racist behavior.
There was also another instance where netizens pointed out Margaret Qualley's alleged racism towards BLACKPINK's Jennie. When the two were seen posing for a picture together, Jennie made a pout with her lips and directed it toward the actress as though she intended to kiss her cheek.
However, the actress was allegedly seen flinching away from the idol's gesture. Many were confused by Margaret's behavior. Since the actress seemed to express that she was close enough to touch the idol's hair and ask personal questions, fans were puzzled by her need to maintain distance for the photo.
One user wrote:
"I feel like that's offensive"
Fans on X criticized Qualley's behavior, with one saying the actress knew it wasn’t appropriate, another calling it audacious, and a third advising against touching another person's hair.
"Weird behaviour. If she had to ask that means she knew it wasn’t. She just wanted to make her feel some type of way." said a fan on X.
"just randomly touching her hair without permission and asking this question like white people will always be audacious" added another fan.
"Dear yt people especially yt women, do not do this! Don't touch the hair and do not ask if they are real. This is none of your business." commented a netizen on X.
Netizens talked about the actress not respecting the idol's boundaries.
"White ppl rlly do this to everyone that’s not them" stated a fan.
"And fandoms thinking this is funny when this is racism af, touching people hair, white people entitlement need to called out" commented a netizen.
"does it make white poeple feel better to know that other races hair is real or not…" said an X user.
Another user commented:
"White ppl really just f*cking reach & touch like POC aren’t human it’s weird."
All you need to know about BLACKPINK's Jennie's recent activities
Jennie Kim is a South Korean singer, rapper, and actress. The idol debuted under YG Entertainment in 2016 as a BLACKPINK member. She and her group continued to be one of the most famous K-pop girl groups in the music industry. Aside from her activities as a BLACKPINK member, she's also active as a soloist.
Following her departure from YG Entertainment in 2023, the idol kickstarted her own label earlier this year, called Odd Atelier. While she hasn't released any music through her label, she has been active in other spheres of the entertainment industry. As an ambassador of the luxury fashion brand CHANEL, the idol has actively participated in their campaigns.
Attending CHANEL's 2024 Met Gala, COCO Crush event, and recent Paris Fashion Week show, the idol has been actively involved in the fashion industry. Additionally, she also made her runway debut in Capri, Italy, on June 10 for the Jacquesmus "La Casa" show. The idol recently announced her exclusive contract with the record label Columbia Records.
The idol recently teased her fans with a preview of her upcoming music. The idol is expected to release a new solo single titled CALLING ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS.