NCT member Jeno reportedly sparked attention after sharing a mirror selfie with fans through Bubble and then deleting it quickly after on March 22, 2023. The now-deleted photo became a topic of discussion on online forums, where users said they noticed what looked like a mint-colored e-cigarette device in his right hand behind his back. In the image, Jeno was captured wearing a black tank top and leather pants, and his upper body was clearly visible. Because the picture disappeared so quickly, some assumed it had been posted by mistake.
In addition, some fans believe the selfie may have been intended for private use or may have been uploaded before cropping the alleged e-cigarette. That idea became more convincing to some viewers because the object in the background was only partially visible and did not seem to be the main focus of the picture.
Netizen 'A' reports Jennie to the Korean embassy in Italy for allegedly illegally smoking indoorshttps://t.co/LmnhXRzOx2 pic.twitter.com/EIAI9NmRnH
— pannchoa (@pannchoa) July 9, 2024
The biggest concern raised by netizens was not simply the device itself, but the possibility that the photo had been taken indoors. That led to comparisons with past controversies involving other KPop stars, including BLACKPINK’s Jennie, NCT’s Haechan, and EXO’s D.O. However, there is still no confirmed evidence that Jeno was smoking indoors. At this point, the conversation remains based on the interpretation of a deleted image. Neither Jeno nor his agency, SM Entertaiment, has addressed the controversy at the moment.
