Recently, THE BLACK LABEL—Teddy’s agency—announced Ella Gross as the first member of their new girl group, MEOVV. This rookie group project has quickly captured the attention of the K-pop fan community.
Ella Gross, known as the “most beautiful child model in the world” and affectionately supported by Jennie since a young age, is set to debut as an idol, with her beauty only becoming more striking over time. With Ella Gross’s participation, MEOVV is already being hailed as a “highly anticipated rookie group” even before their debut.
Ella Gross is not a stranger to the public; the American-Korean-German model has been familiar with the global fashion world from a young age. In 2018, Ella Gross joined THE BLACK LABEL as a trainee and has been described as a highly promising talent. From a young age, Ella has been close with the global girl group BLACKPINK, earning the nickname “little Jennie” and receiving much affection from the four members.
After THE BLACK LABEL released a trailer introducing Ella Gross, she received congratulations from senior artists within the company, including Taeyang and Somi. Notably, BLACKPINK’s eldest member, Jisoo, also shared supportive information about Ella on Instagram. This shows the strong bond between Ella and BLACKPINK.
However, this has sparked controversy. On Twitter, many BABYMONSTER fans began criticizing Jisoo and BLACKPINK for seeming indifferent towards the debut of YG’s new rookie, while giving special congratulations to the model Ella Gross. BABYMONSTER, the girl group set to follow BLACKPINK, is often compared to their senior.
BABYMONSTER fans expressed disappointment that BLACKPINK did not acknowledge the debut of either BABYMONSTER group. Previously, only Lisa and Jennie appeared in a pre-debut documentary for BABYMONSTER as mentors.
The wave of criticism towards BLACKPINK has grown on social media, leading to dissatisfaction among BLINKs. Many believe that BABYMONSTER fans are being excessively demanding in comparing BLACKPINK’s interactions with YG’s new rookie and Ella Gross. Given that Ella Gross is a close friend and has been supported by BLACKPINK since childhood, it is unreasonable to manage or control who the members choose to congratulate.
Additionally, during BABYMONSTER’s debut, BLACKPINK was in the process of contract discussions and reached a conclusion not to renew their individual contracts. At this time, the group understandably had to avoid any controversial actions. It is not fair to conclude that BLACKPINK does not support their juniors based on this situation.
