‘BLACKPINK’s Jennie is my daughter’: Man’s false claim crushed in court

Jennie of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK has won a lawsuit against a man who falsely claimed to be her biological father and published a novel making the allegation. A local court ruled in her favor, ordering the removal of all related materials.

According to a report by Woman Sense on Wednesday, the Goyang branch of the Uijeongbu District Court ruled on May 9 that the man, identified only as A, had no basis for his claim that Jennie was his daughter. “It is reasonable to consider A’s assertion that he is Jennie’s father to be false,” the court said.

The court noted that while the man repeatedly claimed paternity, there was no supporting evidence beyond his own words. In contrast, Jennie’s official family register clearly lists another man as her father, it said.

The court ordered both the man and the publishing house that distributed his book, identified as B, to destroy all existing copies of the book. It also instructed the man to delete all social media content related to Jennie, including his KakaoTalk profile image, and to refrain from mentioning her in any future posts or interviews. The court barred him from discussing the matter in any media appearances.

Although the court did not issue any financial penalties or immediate enforcement measures, it acknowledged that the case constituted a violation of personality rights, including Jennie’s right to reputation, rather than a property rights infringement.

The controversy began when the man published a full-length book claiming that Jennie was his daughter, using the logo of Jennie’s agency, OA Entertainment, on the book cover without permission. After its release, false rumors regarding Jennie’s family background spread rapidly online. In response, Jennie and her agency filed a lawsuit against the man and the publisher last December.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.