BLACKPINK's Jennie stood out on the red carpet with her striking beauty as harsh criticism of the HBO drama 'The Idol', premiered at the 76th Cannes International Film Festival, poured in.

Co-produced and starring Canadian pop star The Weeknd, 'The Idol' is a show that explores the relationships and industry surrounding pop idols. Sam Levinson, director of HBO's 'Euphoria', helmed the show, and actress Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of actor Johnny Depp, led the cast.

On May 22nd (local time), the person who garnered the most attention on the red carpet ahead of the official screening at the Cannes Lumiere Grand Theatre was undoubtedly BLACKPINK's Jennie.

 

Jennie, who had been touring with BLACKPINK in Macao until the day before, dazzled with her radiant beauty, reminiscent of a real-life Barbie. Although she appeared slightly tired, she captivated the global press gathered at Cannes with her off-shoulder white dress highlighting her angular shoulders and slender waist, along with a black ribbon hairband.

However, expectations turned into harsh criticism after the screening of the drama. Critics who previewed the show pointed out issues such as the drama's explicit content, misogynistic portrayal, and male-centric sexual fantasies. Particularly, the fact that protagonist Lily-Rose Depp engaged in scenes involving revenge porn and simulated sexual acts only amplified the criticism.

American entertainment media Variety stated, "The first two episodes were filled only with revenge porn and sexual acts. It's a dirty male fantasy," while American music magazine Rolling Stone evaluated it as a "story more horrifying than rumors."

The British press Telegraph harshly criticized, "It has the worst dialogue one can hear all year" and added, "Even the music is dreadful." The LA Times reported it as a "rape fantasy porn."

On the movie review site Rotten Tomatoes, 'The Idol' scored a very low freshness rating of 9%.

However, it was reported that Jennie's screen time wasn't extensive. She played the role of 'Diane', a friend and backup dancer of Lily-Rose Depp's character, appearing for approximately 5 minutes in the first episode and about 10 minutes in the second. She makes her appearance in an episode where the producers try to use Jennie as Lily's stand-in when Lily is in a slump.

As Jennie previously stated in an interview with fashion magazine WMD, her role wasn't significant, despite her comment that she was "fascinated by the fact that the music industry was the subject." Nevertheless, reporters flocked to interview Jennie locally, but her representatives maintained a consistent no-comment policy to media inquiries.

Coincidentally, on May 22nd, BTS's V, who has repeatedly been rumored to be in a relationship with Jennie, arrived at Cannes. Praises for her dazzling beauty pour in, but she remains silent amidst the harsh criticism of the work and the presence of her rumored lover.

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