After nearly two months of silence from the members, KISS OF LIFE’s Julie has stepped forward to personally address the controversy that surrounded the group back in April. Fans remember the backlash from the “old-school Hip Hop vibes” birthday livestream for Julie, where the girls were accused of cultural appropriation for wearing cornrows, gold chains, and mimicking rap stereotypes. Initially, the group’s agency, S2 Entertainment, issued a formal apology, but fans weren’t satisfied—what they really wanted was an apology from the idols themselves.
Instead of personally apologizing for their ignorance and for offending the Black community, KISS OF LIFE is relying on their agency to issue a weak, scripted apology pic.twitter.com/btduomI75g
— Flop Kpop (@TheFlopKpop) April 3, 2025
The first response from the group came on April 5 via a handwritten letter shared with fans, where the members expressed regret and took full responsibility. They admitted their intent was to honor hip-hop but acknowledged the execution was culturally insensitive. The letter promised growth, education, and a commitment to do better. Still, many fans felt the apology lacked visibility and emotional weight. Read it here:
KISS OF LIFE issues an apology letter over racial stereotype controversy during their recent livestream:
“Our intention was to show how much we loved the category of old school hip hop because it greatly influences our music. While shooting the content we ended up taking the… pic.twitter.com/qo4f6xrNfL
— Pop Base (@PopBase) April 5, 2025
On May 31, Julie finally spoke directly during an Instagram Live. In an emotional moment, she addressed the scandal, saying it was “nerve-wracking” but important. She emphasized the group’s responsibility to learn from their actions and apologized directly to the Black and Latino communities. “We’re working hard to be better,” she said.
Watch Julie’s personal Instagram live apology here:
Julie of KISS OF LIFE apologizes for the group’s racially insensitive birthday livestream on Instagram Live:
“It’s nerve-wracking to talk about everything that is going on, but because we are a bit of a more mature group, it’s very important for us to take accountability for our… pic.twitter.com/O86hehmDqn
— Pop Base (@PopBase) May 31, 2025
