Blackpink star Jennie Kim, who grew up in New Zealand before finding mega-stardom in the K-pop band, has revealed she was "constantly" hurting herself on stage to perform for millions of fans.
Kim has been criticised by fans for giving historically "low-energy performances" and was accused of being "lazy" for not being able to keep up with her group's choreography on stage.
However, she's now revealed the truth, claiming she was in pain during her live performances and didn't know "how to control my body the way I should."
Speaking on Dua Lipa's At Your Service podcast, Kim said she was keenly aware of letting down her fans in the past.
"It all started because I would constantly hurt myself during performances and live [shows] compared to the other girls," she said.
"It was a stressful thing in my life. I'm like, 'There we go, I fell again, I tripped over again'.
"So I feel like I've disappointed my fans at some points of my life, where it seemed like I wasn't giving my best."
Kim's been the target of criticism for her dancing and performance style since the supergroup's success. She was also recently under fire for appearing as a backup dancer on the notorious series The Idol, with tabloids claiming she'd been "cancelled" in South Korea for her appearance in the raunchy show.
However, Kim told Dua Lipa she'd been spending time ensuring she was in peak health for her performances.
"I've learned to take care of my body. And I've learned a lot about myself, with my health and how my muscles work, even how bendy I am with my arms. In every detail, I've spent time."
Kim also said pressure to be able to dance in high heels had contributed to her discomfort.
"Some people are amazing in heels," she said. "My feet aren't built for it."
"Sometimes, when I'm feeling perfectly fine, when my body's OK, it's fine. But when I'm travelling and my feet are bloated, if I try to dance in heels, my stamina just goes down.
"I've wanted to come clean... not come clean, but wanted to share with my fans that I'm still at a point where I'm learning about myself," she explained.
In June, Kim left halfway through the group's performance in Melbourne due to a medical condition .
She abruptly left the stave during the second night of the girl group's Born Pink World Tour and videos on social media showed her simply leaving mid-way through the show.
Following the concert, the group's agency YG Entertainment released a statement to inform fans that Jennie "was unable to complete the stage due to her deteriorating condition".
"Jennie expressed her strong determination to carry on with the performance until the end. However, following medical advice on site, we immediately took measures to ensure she receives ample rest and stability," the statement explained.
