A seemingly innocuous attempt by KATSEYE’s Sophia Laforteza to address past online conflict has instead ignited a fresh wave of massive backlash, plunging the rising star back into the center of a heated fan debate involving global powerhouse BLACKPINK.
The controversy, which originated with a simple social media “like” earlier in the year, was unexpectedly resurrected during a recent livestream, revealing the deep and sensitive fissures that persist between K-pop fan communities.
The Genesis of the ‘Like’ Controversy
The root of the enduring conflict lies in a brief social media interaction where Sophia was accused of disrespecting BLACKPINK.
As a burgeoning idol herself, her actions are intensely scrutinized, and the act of liking a video that was perceived to be lightly shading BLACKPINK’s lack of recent releases was instantly interpreted by many fans as an intentional dig at the senior group.
This swiftly led to a deluge of malicious hate comments directed at Sophia, a common and often ruthless feature of inter-fandom rivalry in the K-pop sphere.
For the seven-member group KATSEYE, a global group formed through the HYBE-Geffen Records joint project The Debut: Dream Academy, navigating the existing hierarchies and fan loyalties of the industry is a constant challenge.
Having just debuted, Sophia’s entanglement with the famously dedicated BLINK fandom created immediate, unwanted tension.
A Miscalculated Clarification Attempt
The recent storm began when Sophia, during a live broadcast with group member Yoonchae, recounted a heartwarming, positive encounter with BLACKPINK’s Rosé at the VMAs.
Sophia spoke glowingly of Rosé, describing her as “the sweetest person” and an inspiration to KATSEYE.
She praised Rosé’s album and congratulated her on her award win, establishing her profound respect for the senior artist.
It was in the context of this positive interaction that Sophia chose to address the prior controversy. Her goal appeared to be one of reconciliation and clarification.
She attempted to debunk the idea of any malicious intent, emphasizing that she is a “huge BLACKPINK fan myself.”
Crucially, she claimed she had not even watched the entire controversial video, implying that her “like” was accidental or made without full context.
Also, she explained her silence during the initial backlash, noting,
“I didn’t even watch that full video… that’s the crazy part. But I just let it happen, because what people were saying wasn’t true. There was no point in fighting it.”
Her reasoning was based on the belief that confronting the hate would only add “more fuel to the situation,” choosing to passively wait for the anger to subside because she felt the accusations were unfounded.
The Firestorm of Renewed Criticism
Unfortunately, Sophia’s attempt to clear the air had the opposite effect.
Her comments were seized upon by critics as a self-serving narrative, reopening old wounds and generating fresh outrage.
The core of the renewed backlash is a perception of hypocrisy or selective memory on Sophia’s part. Critics quickly pivoted the narrative from her actions to the alleged actions of her own fanbase.
Social media responses, some shared directly in the original article, accused Sophia of being “too blind to see her own fandom also did worse things” to BLACKPINK members.
This shift suggests that for the critics, the issue is no longer just about Sophia’s singular “like,” but about the perceived behavior and environment created by KATSEYE’s own supporters in various fan wars.
By speaking only about the hate she received without acknowledging the potential toxicity emanating from her own fan group, critics claim she is presenting an incomplete and self-victimizing account.
This renewed fury underscores a common and often vicious cycle in K-pop fandom culture: an attack on one idol or fanbase frequently provokes a counter-attack, making true reconciliation extraordinarily difficult.
Sophia’s explanation, intended to foster understanding, was interpreted by a hardened, skeptical audience as a form of justification, thus reigniting the very conflict she hoped to extinguish.
While the severe criticism highlights the immense pressure and scrutiny placed upon new idols—where a single tap on a screen can trigger months of harassment—it also reflects the complexity of navigating highly polarized fan communities.
Despite the ongoing negativity, many dedicated fans continue to defend Sophia, insisting her comments were harmless and that she remains an unfair target of a relentless campaign of negativity.
As KATSEYE continues its rise, Sophia’s experience serves as a clear example of the fine line artists must walk in the digital age, where every public word and action is scrutinized through the lens of existing fan loyalties and past digital missteps.
