A staff stepped forward.

BLACKPINK‘s Jennie was recently caught up in an indoor smoking controversy. She was caught smoking an e-cigarette while getting ready in Capri. The scene was accidentally featured in her vlog, sparking backlash from the public.

Smoking indoors is considered illegal in many countries. Jennie also may be facing legal repercussions, given that someone has since reported her to the authorities in Italy.

According to an article from Sports Chosun on July 11, 2024, a staff who had been on site smoke up about the matter. They stepped up anonymously, claiming that “the place in the video was the waiting area for the Jacquemus show, and it was not a smoking-prohibited area indoors. After asking if she could smoke, she immediately opened the window next to her and smoked like that.”

The staff also continued to explain that Jennie had taken a puff while the makeup artist had been looking for a lip product, chalking things up to bad timing. In the video, it had looked like Jennie had blown the smoke into the staff’s face.

While the staff was looking for the lip product, Jennie had taken a drag of a bubble pen that was sold at the convenience store. It just so happened that the timing of her blowing the smoke out matched. She kept apologizing even after the show ended, and the staff involved also said that it was fine because they were also smokers. Although it is a problem that the smoke brushed by the top of the staff’s head, I think it’s not right for her past actions to be mentioned together as part of an attitude controversy [with this issue.] As her IRL friend, I’m leaving a comment as I feel upset that she is being misunderstood like this.

— On site staff

A bubble pen is a type of vape commonly sold at convenience stores. Although it seems like Jennie may have gotten permission to smoke from the brand officials on site, in Italy, it has been illegal to smoke indoors in public places from 2005. Vapes were included in this this law from 2014.