Blackpink’s Lisa says she hid past relationships as K-pop star

Blackpink’s Lisa has opened up about the restrictions she faced as a K-pop star, including having to keep past relationships private out of concern that they could affect the group’s popularity.

“In K-pop culture, we can’t date,” Lisa says in her upcoming documentary “Always Lalisa,” according to Canadian media, Thursday, Sept. 3. “If you’re seeing someone and you get caught by paparazzi, your popularity drops. When I was younger, I had a few relationships, but we had to hide when we’re dating. I didn’t want my dating to be the thing that hurts Blackpink’s popularity.”

Lisa also reflected on the pressures she faced after moving to Korea in 2011 at age 14 to train under YG Entertainment.

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“I finally get to live my life,” she says in the documentary.

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“I didn’t dare speak up or express my thoughts,” Lisa said, “and I had been living like that since I was 14.”

The documentary shows Lisa becoming emotional as she recalls the monthly performance tapes she submitted for evaluation during her trainee years and the feedback she received.

Lisa also reveals that “Dream,” a track from her 2025 solo album “Alter Ego,” was written about one of the relationships she had kept private. She said she sought the person’s approval before releasing the song, with the person agreeing on the condition that fans would not uncover their identity.

“They thought they figured it out, but I don’t think so,” Lisa says in the documentary.

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Directed by Sue Kim, “Always Lalisa” chronicles a year in Lisa’s life as she pursued solo music, acting and other projects outside Blackpink.

The documentary is set to make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 11. It will open in IMAX and theaters worldwide beginning Oct. 12 before becoming available on YouTube Premium later this year. /ra