It has recently come to light that BLACKPINK member Lisa intended to release a statement through her company LLOUD regarding an incident where she used a racially discriminatory and derogatory term during her trainee days. However, this plan was reportedly thwarted by her former agency, YG Entertainment.
In an interview with American entertainment media Variety, released on September 14th, Lisa shared her feelings about the controversy surrounding the leaked video, which was recently featured in the documentary Always LALISA.
The video in question was leaked online in late March last year. It reportedly shows evaluation footage filmed while Lisa, Jennie and Rosé were YG trainees before BLACKPINK’s debut in 2016. In the footage, the three members can be seen performing an English rap song that includes racially offensive language towards Black people.
The documentary Always LALISA, which recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, reveals what happened after the video was leaked. Lisa’s current agency, LLOUD, wanted to release an official statement, but YG reportedly opposed the move. As death threats against Lisa began to emerge, LLOUD ultimately decided not to pursue the matter further.
In the documentary, Lisa explained that she was a young trainee who had recently moved to Korea from Thailand and that English was not her first language. She had learned the rap song for a trainee evaluation requested by YG, but said she did not understand the historical meaning of the word at the time or realize that she should not have used it.
During her interview with Lisa, Variety asked about the scene in which Lisa and her team at LLOUD attempted to respond to the controversy, but YG did not allow them to do so.
“I really should apologize,” Lisa said. “I will never do that again. This is not okay. Really.”
The documentary also shows how the controversy unfolded as Lisa was preparing for her first solo performance at Coachella. She said she wanted to focus on preparing for the performance, but the controversy made that difficult and forced her to go through a challenging time. It remains unclear why YG opposed LLOUD’s planned statement or what authority it had to do so.
Throughout Always LALISA, Lisa opens up about experiences she was unable to speak about in the past. Looking back on her years as a YG trainee, she said, “I couldn’t dare to raise my voice or express my thoughts. I’ve lived like that since I was 14.”
Now that her exclusive contract with YG has ended, Lisa said, “Now I can finally live my own life.”
Always LALISA follows Lisa for approximately one year as she steps away from the BLACKPINK umbrella, establishes her own company, LLOUD, and begins building a solo career as a singer and actress. The documentary premiered on September 11 at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival and is scheduled for a limited theatrical release in select theaters worldwide and IMAX beginning October 12th.
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