Blackpink’s Lisa Manobal faced a racial controversy after leaked videos resurfaced, revealing her and bandmates using racial slurs during 2025 Coachella rehearsals. A documentary, Always Lalisa, captures her candid apology and career shifts, premiering on Monday, 12 October.
The scandal erupted while Lisa was rehearsing for an important performance at the Coachella Festival in 2025 when leaked clips surfaced showing Blackpink, including Lisa, using racial slurs while covering US rap songs as teenage trainees. The footage sparked backlash. Fans demanded an apology, but her label barred public statements, leaving her team in crisis mode.
Candid Apology in Dressing Room
Documentarian Sue Kim followed Lisa into her dressing room during the turmoil, asking, Look, I know this is new. I know you guys are wildly confused and hurt, but this is your time to say whatever you want to say – even if you’re just processing your thoughts and telling us what you’re feeling.
Lisa, lying on a sofa, responded with raw honesty. “It’s bad,” she said, explaining she was 15 or 16
when the videos were shot and didn’t know that [word] was sensitive because I’m from Thailand and my first language is not English
having only heard the term in rap music
. Now I know better,
she added, acknowledging her mistake.
Kim called Lisa’s unscripted reaction one of the most important scenes
in Always Lalisa, which hits cinemas on Monday, 12 October. There was no premeditation on Lisa’s part,
Kim said, noting the stream of consciousness
she shared during the interview.
Sue Kim, the documentarian, said she honestly expected her to say no
when she asked Lisa to speak openly. Instead, Lisa talked for an hour, revealing her shame and growth.
Breaking Free from K-Pop’s Constraints
The documentary’s main storyline is about Lisa taking a break from K-pop to pursue crossover success in the Western music market. When we meet her, she is one of the world’s most famous women, with millions of record sales and brand deals with Louis Vuitton and Bvlgari. I don’t want my dating to be the thing to hurt Blackpink’s popularity,
she says in the film.
Tension Between Freedom and Legacy
Declaring that she wants a break is such a disruption to that way of life that I can only imagine it must have been building inside her for years.
The documentary also reveals that in the film, we see Lisa struggling to assert herself in the recording studio, and tearfully battling nerves over her singing voice.
Kim emphasized that part of the reason why Lisa’s interested in continuing her solo career is that it might give her a little bit more personal freedom to be who she is. I might not lose my career if I want to get married and have children
.