What to know
- BTS members J-Hope and RM attended Chris Brown and Usher’s Toronto concert Wednesday and were photographed backstage with Brown.
- The pair also shared a video dancing to Brown’s performance of “Look at Me Now” ahead of BTS’ own Rogers Stadium shows on Aug. 22 and 23.
- Their appearance sparked criticism online, with fans pointing to Brown’s past assault conviction involving Rihanna and his recent guilty plea over a 2023 London nightclub attack.
- Others defended the BTS members, arguing they may not have been aware of Brown’s history; neither J-Hope, RM, nor BTS have publicly responded to the criticism.
K-Pop’s most popular boy band is the subject of some turbulent conversation on social media after a few of the members attended the Chris Brown and Usher concert in Toronto on Wednesday.
Group members J-Hope and RM were seen alongside Brown in a backstage photo following the R&B Tour’s second night in Toronto. The duo also posted a video to social media dancing to Brown’s performance of the 2011 song “Look at Me Now” at the concert.
The members attended the concert ahead of their own Rogers Stadium two-day run on Aug. 22 and Aug. 23. The appearance by the world-famous band’s members at the rapper’s show sparked criticism online, with many pointing out Brown’s controversial past.
The criticism surrounds a June 2009 court case in which Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault for attacking his then-girlfriend, artist Rihanna, that same year. On July 24 of this year, Brown also pleaded guilty in relation to a February 2023 fight at a London nightclub, where he hit a music producer with a bottle.
Social media criticism
Many online questioned why the BTS pair would attend the artist’s concert,
“It’s so sad and very disappointing to see them associating themselves with an abuser, knowing their fandom consists of women….” one X user wrote.
“They don’t have any bit of awareness,” another X user wrote. “Your fandom is all women. Women gave you all the fame and success, yet [you’re] openly supporting [a] misogynist artist”
“They deserve to be cancelled forever for this. How disgusting,” another X user said.
Alongside the criticism, some gave the BTS members slack.
“Obviously not condoning it, but I think some of y’all are WAYYY overestimating how many people actually know about the chris brown situation. Especially outside the U.S., like this is NOT a widely known thing,” one X user said.
“Not condoning his actions at all, but some of y’all are living in a bubble if you think everyone knows about his past. Outside the U.S., the vast majority of people have no idea about the controversy,” another X user wrote.
So far, no BTS members have made a formal statement or direct response regarding J-Hope and RM’s appearance at the Chris Brown concert.
