// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
Inside the room: What it was like to be with Blackpink's Lisa as race scandal erupted
Lisa, who was born Pranpriya Manobal in Thailand, became one of the world's most-recognisable K-pop idols as a member of Blackpink
What's it like to be the main character of an online scandal?
That's one of the questions raised in a new documentary about Lisa Manobal – one quarter of K-pop phenomenon Blackpink and a breakout star of TV show The White Lotus.
The film captures an unfolding controversy, as leaked videos show Blackpink using racial slurs when they were teenage trainees in the K-pop system.
The clips, which emerged last year, showed the band covering US rap songs during rehearsals. Explicit language, including the n-word, was left uncensored.
The scandal blew up while Lisa was rehearsing for a pivotal performance at the Coachella Festival in 2025.
Offended and upset, some fans demanded an apology - but the band's record label, forbade the members from issuing a statement.
With Lisa's team in crisis mode, documentarian Sue Kim followed Lisa into her dressing room.
"I said, '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," Kim tells the BBC.
Instead, Lisa lay down on a sofa and spoke from the heart.