BLACKPINK member Lalisa Manobal (리사) was embroiled in an 'N-word' controversy last year. Leaked videos from her trainee period allegedly showed her singing the racially charged 'N-word' while covering an American rap song, an issue that has persisted. Now, Lalisa has reportedly addressed the controversy for the first time in her personal documentary, clarifying the circumstances of the incident.
Lalisa's personal documentary, Always Lalisa, premiered on September 11 (Korean Standard Time) at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Following the premiere, viewers shared content on social media, noting that Lalisa discussed the controversial 'N-word' incident in the film.
The incident originated in March 2025 when an alleged former YG Entertainment employee leaked pre-debut trainee evaluation videos of BLACKPINK online. In the videos, members covered several American rap songs, including some containing the 'N-word.' Some members were seen singing the word directly, which immediately drew strong criticism from Western netizens and Black fans.
In the documentary, Lalisa explained that these videos were filmed shortly after she left Thailand and joined YG Entertainment as a trainee. As English was not her native language at the time and she was very young, she did not understand the historical context or the gravity of the racial slur. She stated that she was simply following company instructions to prepare and perform songs designated for trainee evaluations.
Lalisa revealed that it wasn't until she received relevant education and learned about the word's historical background that she truly grasped the seriousness of the issue. She reportedly wanted to issue a formal apology through her own company, LLOUD, to address the incident publicly, but her former agency, YG Entertainment, strongly opposed and prevented her from responding.
Furthermore, Lalisa mentioned that after the incident came to light, she received severe death threats. Consequently, her team decided to remain silent for safety reasons. YG Entertainment reportedly believed that issuing a statement at the time could further escalate the situation, thus opting for a no-response approach.
These revelations quickly sparked heated discussions on social media, with reactions from fans and non-fans being polarized.
Some fans argued that the songs were assigned by the company for trainees to perform, and Lalisa was merely fulfilling training requirements for evaluation. They believe YG Entertainment's subsequent handling of the incident is what truly deserves scrutiny. Others defended her, suggesting that Lalisa was young at the time, had just arrived in Korea from Thailand, and English was not her native language. If she genuinely did not understand the historical context of the word then, it should be differentiated from intentionally using it with full knowledge of its racist implications.
Some netizens expressed sympathy for Lalisa, asking, "They wanted to explain at the time, but YG wouldn't let them speak?" Others pointed out that when judging this incident, one should distinguish between 'lack of understanding' and 'deliberate discrimination,' while also considering the individual's age, language background, and the environment at the time.
However, many netizens questioned why Lalisa is only now speaking out. Some wondered why she chose to revisit the incident years later, specifically when releasing her solo work. Others questioned why, if Lalisa had wanted to speak out years ago, she only now revealed this inside story.
Regarding the claim that "YG prevented her from speaking," some netizens remained skeptical, arguing that since Lalisa has now established her own company, LLOUD, if she truly intended to issue a statement back then, why has she remained silent for so many years?
Currently, the content mentioned above primarily comes from audience shares and social media posts following the Toronto International Film Festival premiere. Whether it fully reflects the documentary's content remains to be officially confirmed. Lalisa herself and her associated companies have not yet publicly responded to these claims.
