[OSENWORLD] BLACKPINK’s Rosé has become the center of controversy after fans accused ELLE UK of overt racism for deliberately excluding her from coverage of the Saint Laurent 2026 Spring/Summer show in Paris.
On September 30, ELLE UK’s official account uploaded photos from the runway event. Rosé, who attended as the global ambassador of Saint Laurent, posed for a group shot alongside singer Charli XCX, model Hailey Bieber, and actress Zoë Kravitz. However, when ELLE UK published the photo, Rosé had been cropped out entirely. In another post that followed, her image was missing again.
The omission was especially glaring given that Rosé drew attention that night with her sleek black ensemble and striking visuals, embodying her role as the brand’s global face. Fans argued that the magazine could have easily chosen a shot that included all four stars.
The controversy deepened when Charli XCX posted a similar group picture on her own account. In her version, Rosé appeared unnaturally darkened and partially cropped compared to the others, further fueling accusations of racial bias. Critics pointed out that multiple clear photos of all four celebrities were available, making Rosé’s repeated erasure difficult to dismiss as coincidence.
Outraged BLINKs (BLACKPINK fans) flooded social media with comments condemning both ELLE UK and Charli XCX. “Ambassador, yet erased? That’s overt racism,” one viral post read. Others blasted the incident as “disgraceful,” “unacceptable,” and “a blatant act of exclusion.”
Rosé herself has not commented on the incident. Meanwhile, BLACKPINK are continuing their record-breaking Born Pink World Tour, which kicked off in July at Seoul’s Goyang Sports Complex and has already completed successful legs in North America and Europe. The group will resume touring across Asia in October, with stops in Kaohsiung, Bangkok, Jakarta, Bulacan, Singapore, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.
/k_inside@osen.co.kr
Courtesy of OSEN, SNS
