Red Velvet’s Wendy and Blackpink’s Jennie are facing separate waves of malicious online content, prompting their agencies to warn of civil and criminal action.
Kpop Starz
Wendy’s agency, ASND, issued a statement Aug. 19 addressing posts targeting the singer and fellow agency artists fromis_9. According to Soompi, ASND said it would respond firmly to malicious slander, false information, defamation, sexual harassment, and other conduct that infringes on its artists’ rights, regardless of the severity of each case.
The statement followed online commentary about Wendy’s recent appearances at a Red Velvet fan concert and in fan-shot videos for the group’s new song, “Surfin’ Boy.” Some users expressed concern about changes in her appearance, while other posts criticized her body, focused on specific body parts, made sexualized remarks, or circulated unverified speculation.
xportsnews
ASND said such content cannot be dismissed as opinion or freedom of expression when it degrades an artist’s appearance, sexually objectifies the person or spreads false claims. The agency said it is preserving evidence from posts already identified and will continue monitoring future content for possible legal action.
Xportsnews reported that Ascend, Wendy’s agency, also warned that comments evaluating or mocking her body and appearance, along with maliciously distributed false information, may constitute defamation. The agency said it would pursue action against content already found and material posted later.
Jennie’s case centers on a video that spread after she performed as a headliner at Summer Sonic 2026 in Japan on Aug. 14. The clip appeared to show part of her body exposed and reportedly received more than 12.5 million views in about 12 hours.
xportsnews
The video’s authenticity has not been independently established. It was reported that other posts on the original uploader’s account appeared to involve artificial-intelligence manipulation, increasing suspicion that the Jennie clip may also have been altered. The account was subsequently suspended.
The Korea JoongAng Daily reported that the account and its posts were inaccessible on Aug. 19, a day after OA Entertainment announced legal action. The agency said it was working with legal counsel to monitor related posts and accounts, collect evidence and pursue civil and criminal complaints.
Legal sources cited by the newspaper said an AI-altered clip could potentially fall under Article 14-2 of South Korea’s Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. Unauthorized sexual manipulation of a person’s image may carry up to seven years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won, about $36,000.
OA Entertainment said it would also target repeated sharing, insulting captions and false claims linked to the footage.