BLACKPINK's Jennie was recently involved with Hollywood actress Margaret Qualley and her comment about her blonde hair. Was this an example of cultural appropriation in full swing, or a comment which has been taken out of hand? We take a closer look!
Recently actress Margaret Qualley has been accused of "being racist" towards BLACKPINK's Jennie at the Chanel Spring/Summer 2025 fashion show in France.
Jennie and Margaret Qualley were working the room and socializing, and as seen in the video below Margaret Qualley embraced Jennie before touching her hair and asking her "Is your hair real?" Jennie replied with a smile "No, it's not", to which Margaret Qualley responded to Jennie by saying "It looks real".
Let's take a look!
Fans and critics have expressed their strong opinions by saying that Margaret Qualley should be accused of prejudice for asking the question.
Fans called out the comment, touching her hair as "inappropriate" and "disrespectful".
Many viewed the incident as racially charged, interpreting the questioning of Jennie's blonde hair as insensitive, especially given the cultural context.
In the West, cultural appropriation of this nature has made headlines with other A-list stars in the past, and especially in the UK since it is a diverse country, it can lead to meaningless comments (perhaps like this one) being taken out of hand and therefore receiving a lot of unwanted attention and backlash.
Let's take a look at this post which has been posted on X:
This situation escalated even further when some fans pointed out another time when there was discomfort displayed. While posing for photos together Jennie was seen making a pout to perhaps kiss Margaret Qualley on the cheek, however, Margaret Qualley allegedly flinched and pulled back, leading fans to question why she perhaps hesitated a friendly gesture from the star. Did it have any racial discrimination behind it? Or was it a shocked response?
Let's take a look at this post from X:
Many fans have rightly so been conflicted and confused by the mixed signals that Margaret Qualley gave off toward Jennie at the event.
In my opinion, having watched the video, I think Margaret Qualley was working the room and networking, and when she commented "Is this your real hair?" it was perhaps meant innocently, as Jennie's hair looked striking. I can understand where some of her fans have come from claiming that it was not an innocent comment.
Jennie does appear to show some hesitation later when she got Margaret Qualley to pose for a photo with a photographer as I can see in her body language, however, she does play to the camera very well and makes the pout face to express some happiness for the photo. What do you think?
Overall, the interactions have left Jennie's fans frustrated, accusing Margaret Qualley of not respecting boundaries and displaying behavior that some have labeled as racially insensitive. Let us know what you think.
Let us know your opinion on this topic in the comments below.
Comments