Lea Salonga, the Filipino-American singer, dancer and tone artist who was nominated for two Tony Awards, has voiced her opinion on why Lea Salonga recently unfollowed BTS members RM and J-Hope on Instagram. Speaking at an #AskMissLea Q&A on Threads, Salonga explained that it was essentially for the purpose of her own emotional safety and wellbeing, rather than to single out and publicly shame the artists.
The unfollow was triggered by negative comments that were posted about RM’s appearance with J-Hope at an Usher and Chris Brown performance in Toronto online. Because Brown was one of the few celebrities to be accused, some fans complained that they were uncomfortable with the way she was being associated with him, and attending to Snoop’s and his brother Flash’s personal responsibility became a topic.
Lea Salonga Says the Decision Was About Personal Boundaries
Salonga said she was having these feelings since she started waking up every day in tears, unhappy and began to be influenced by the controversy at a deeper level. She realized it was having a negative impact on her, and she developed the idea that it was time to unplug from the two people’s social media content.
Her reasoning focused on the fact that it was an individual choice. Her unfollow of RM and J-Hope was not meant to tell them what to do, but was a line she had to set for herself.
She Acknowledged Both Fan and Artist Autonomy
A key element of Salonga’s response was her understanding that leaders have the freedom to make their own decisions. She emphasized that fans have no right to influence artistic choices on which fans of the artists may wish to disagree.
Meanwhile, she has said that consumers have autonomy over what they’re consuming and interacting as well on the Web. As such, unfollowing the two members wasn’t an ultimatum for Salonga, but it was a method of coping with his own social media connection more so than pushing BTS into a corner.
Why Does She Want Space to Enjoy BTS Again?
Salonga was also considering another option to give the BTS members “grace.” She said she had to take the time to step back in part to give herself enough room not to feel angry and disappointed anymore.
Instead of shutting the doors completely on the group, Salonga had suggested that when she would be able to distance herself, she could go back to BTS’ music without the emotional baggage that came with the controversy.
Salonga Also Reflected on Her Own Past
During an after-dinner talk, Salonga admits that she’s had personal instances of posing for photos with people she later found “problematic”. She said that she didn’t always understand the importance of those connections when they were happening.
Adding to that, she reflected on herself. Rather than blaming it on others, she said, she’d accept that she doesn’t know the right thing to do, and she noted the need to face that uncomfortable truth head-on.
Her Gratitude Toward BTS Remains
Although she stepped down, Salonga left no doubts about her love for BTS. She remembered finding the group in 2020, when she was going through a rough period in her life with personal upheaval, raising kids, political pressure and the COVID-19 pandemic.
She said she would like to put to music how BTS helped her stay sane during that time, and how it touched her is something that will never be forgotten.
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What Salonga’s Statement Says About Modern Fandom?
Salonga’s words reflect the growing intricacy of fans and global celebrities. Getting into social media can give us the impression of like-to-thank-ness, but sometimes we can be more disappointed when the decisions made by the artists go against our convictions and values.
Her methodology implies fandom can be a mix of both. Recognizing that an artist can be esteemed by a person, reverenced for what positive transforms the artist has wrought, but not emotionally close to that group or object when it becomes uncomfortable.
FAQs
Why did Lea Salonga unfollow RM and J-Hope?
As per Saeed, she unfollowed the BTS members as the rumour alleging the members attend concerts was impacting her quite emotionally, and that’s why she needed to take some personal boundaries.
Was the unfollow supposed to be a punishment?
No. Salonga did not even mention “utilizing” the situation but rather “doing this” for her own wellbeing, given that she is paralleling them down under.
Did BTS get criticized by Lea Salonga?
She highlighted mainly her own emotional feelings instead of providing a sweeping condemnation of BTS as a group.
