BLACKPINK’s Jennie has once again found herself at the centre of an online debate, but this time, it’s not about her. Instead, the controversy revolves around her alleged manager, Jeremy Erlich, whose recent action on social media has sparked heated discussions among fans.

His act has led to speculation about whether he was subtly undermining Lisa and the other BLACKPINK members. While some argue that it was an innocent show of support for Jennie, others believe that it carried an indirect message that cast a shadow over the rest of the group. Keep reading as we decode Jennie's manager controversy.

What exactly happened?

The incident in question began when Jeremy Erlich, reportedly Jennie’s manager, reshared a tweet praising her latest solo album, Ruby. While this seems harmless on the surface, the controversy stems from the fact that the original tweet was posted by K-pop critic Joshua Minsoo Kim, who is known for his past criticisms of Lisa, Rosé, and Jisoo’s solo projects.

Though the shared tweet did not contain any direct criticism of the other members, many fans felt that reposting content from someone who has historically spoken negatively about them was a questionable move.

The online discussion was first fueled by a post on the Korean forum Pann, which shared a screenshot of Erlich’s repost, along with the caption, "Wow, Jennie’s manager is openly putting down the other BLACKPINK members. Lol."

The forum's post quickly gained traction, drawing attention to Erlich’s previous activity on social media, where he has consistently shared posts related to Jennie’s work. This led some fans to speculate that his actions were not merely about supporting Jennie but also subtly highlighting her achievements over those of her groupmates.

The tweet Erlich reshared featured high praise for Ruby, with Joshua Minsoo Kim stating, "It’s not just the best album from a BLACKPINK soloist, but one of the best albums from a K-pop soloist ever (esp on a non-Big four label)." He further commended the production quality, mentioning, "It makes sense though—production from Dem Jointz, Mike Will Made It, El Guincho…like c’mon."

While this particular post was purely complimentary of Jennie, fans on Pann pointed out that Joshua Minsoo Kim had previously criticized Lisa’s solo album Alter Ego, calling it a "bad album" and questioning her vocal abilities. Given this context, many netizens questioned whether Jennie’s alleged manager was indirectly participating in diminishing Lisa’s work by intensifying praise from someone who had previously spoken negatively about her.

Fans react

The controversy rapidly spread, with the Pann post reaching over 90,000 views in just a few hours. Fans quickly took sides, with some defending Erlich, arguing that his intentions were solely to support Jennie’s music rather than make a statement against the other members. "He just shared a good review about Ruby, nothing more," one fan argued.

Another user wrote, "Truly a clever tactic—striking indirectly. Manipulating the emotions of both fandoms while trying to wash your hands of it completely." 

Others countered, stating that a manager should be more mindful of public perception and avoid engaging with individuals known for negatively critiquing other BLACKPINK members.