Lisa Manobal addresses racial slur controversy in new documentary

In the documentary ‘Always Lalisa’, Blackpink member Lisa Manobal addresses the controversy surrounding leaked videos from her teenage trainee years. The footage, which emerged last year, showed the group using racial slurs while rehearsing US rap songs.

Lisa explained in the film that she was approximately 15 or 16 years old at the time and, being from Thailand, was unaware of the offensive history of the terms, having only heard them in rap music. She expressed remorse, stating, “Now I know better. But I did wrong.”

The scandal intensified while Lisa was preparing for a performance at the 2025 Coachella Music Festival. While her record label initially prevented the group from issuing a statement, filmmaker Sue Kim captured an unscripted moment in Lisa’s dressing room where the singer spoke candidly about her feelings of shame and confusion. Despite the backlash and online threats, Lisa proceeded with her Coachella performance.