K-pop star Nana apologizes over lip filler controversy in Netflix’s ‘The Scandal’
South Korean actress Nana is addressing the buzz surrounding her appearance in Netflix’s new historical drama The Scandal after viewers criticized her fuller-looking lips, with some saying it took them out of the series’ Joseon-era setting.
The actress, whose real name is Im Jin-ah, gave a message to fans through Bubble, a K-pop subscription app, on Sept. 22. Nana acknowledged that her appearance had become a distraction for some viewers and apologized for the choice.
“If my lips made viewers uncomfortable, then that was my fault,” Nana wrote, according to The Korea Herald.
She described it as a “personal choice” that she felt was not the right one for her as an actor and also expressed sympathy for fans who had been seeing the criticism directed at her.
"From now on, I'll do my best so that we can hear more positive things together," she added.
The controversy centered on the fullness of Nana’s lips, which some viewers attributed to lip fillers. Viewers argued that the look felt out of place in the historical setting and did not fit her character, Hui-yeon, a Joseon-era widow who has renounced worldly pleasures in favor of a life of chastity.
Nana’s apology came shortly after The Scandal premiered on Netflix. The eight-part series reimagines Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ 18th-century French novel Dangerous Liaisons, which was previously adapted into the 2003 Korean film Untold Scandal.
The new series stars Nana alongside Ji Chang-wook and Son Ye-jin and is set in Korea’s Joseon period, placing the familiar story of seduction, relationships, and social expectations in a historical Korean setting.
The Scandal has already been attracting viewers on Netflix. Three days after its premiere, the series ranked No. 7 on the streaming giant’s Top 10 list of non-English TV shows, according to Tudum.