From body-shaming to suspected AI fakes: Wendy, Jennie fight back

Red Velvet's Wendy and BLACKPINK's Jennie are taking legal action as malicious online content targeting their appearances and bodies raises fresh concerns over the increasingly invasive scrutiny faced by female K-pop stars.

Wendy recently drew attention online following appearances at Red Velvet's fan concert and in fan cams of the group's new song "Surfin Boy." Her noticeably slimmer figure prompted some fans to express concern about her health.

But the discussion soon went beyond expressions of concern, with posts scrutinizing specific parts of her body and making disparaging comments about her appearance. Unverified and malicious speculation also began circulating online.

Wendy's agency, Ascend, responded with a statement warning that it would take action against content that violates the singer's rights.

"Acts that sexually discuss or judge specific parts of the artist's body, ridicule or demean her appearance and body, or maliciously spread false information constitute clear defamation that infringes on the artist's dignity and rights and cannot be regarded simply as opinions or freedom of expression," the agency said.

Ascend said it plans to respond not only to posts and comments it has already identified but also to malicious content uploaded in the future.

The controversy comes as another female K-pop star, Jennie, faced a similar problem on a much larger viral scale, this time involving a video suspected of being manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI).

Jennie performed as a headliner at the Summer Sonic 2026 music festival in Japan on Aug. 14. After her first performance, a video appearing to show part of her body exposed began circulating online. It spread rapidly, surpassing 12.5 million views in about half a day.

It has not been confirmed whether the footage was authentic or manipulated using AI technology. However, other videos that appeared to be AI-generated were found on the account that first posted the clip, fueling speculation that the Jennie video may also have been digitally altered. The original poster's account was later suspended.

Regardless of whether the footage was authentic or manipulated, the video's sensationalized circulation prompted Jennie's agency, OA Entertainment, to step in.

The agency said it would pursue legal action without leniency against malicious content targeting the singer.

It said this includes distributing photos or videos in which the artist's physical features have been maliciously edited or altered, repeatedly circulating particular scenes, or attaching insulting comments or false claims to such content.

The cases involving Wendy and Jennie highlight a growing problem for female K-pop stars as online scrutiny of their bodies increasingly intersects with viral social media content and rapidly advancing AI manipulation technology.

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.