Lisa Says She Kept Relationships Secret in Blackpink
Lisa is opening up about a part of her life she kept private during her years with Blackpink: her romantic relationships. In her upcoming documentary Always Lalisa, the singer, whose…
Lisa is opening up about a part of her life she kept private during her years with Blackpink: her romantic relationships.
In her upcoming documentary Always Lalisa, the singer, whose full name is Lalisa Manobal, says she had relationships when she was younger but felt she had to keep them out of the public eye. She says the pressure around dating in K-pop made her concerned that being seen with someone could affect Blackpink.
"In K-pop culture, we can't date," the star, born Lalisa Manobal, explains in her upcoming documentary Always Lalisa according to the Toronto Star. "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's comments offer a look at the restrictions and expectations that can come with being a major K-pop star, particularly when it comes to relationships.
One Relationship Inspired “Dream”
Lisa also reveals in the documentary that one of those relationships became the inspiration for her song "Dream," from her 2025 album Alter Ego.
Before releasing the track, Lisa says she contacted the person the song was about and asked for their approval. They agreed to let her release it as long as fans could not figure out their identity.
"They thought they figured it out, but I don't think so," Lisa says in the doc.
The song gave Lisa a way to revisit the relationship through her music while still keeping the person's identity private.
Rosé Has Spoken About Dating, Too
Lisa's comments come after fellow Blackpink member Rosé also discussed the difficulty of dating publicly as a K-pop star.
Earlier this year, Rosé became emotional while talking about her love life on the Call Her Daddy podcast with host Alex Cooper.
Rosé told Cooper she is "human just like everyone else" and wants to date normally, adding that for a K-pop star, and particularly a K-pop woman, it just simply is not possible.
Dating restrictions have long been part of the K-pop industry. According to BBC News, South Korean entertainment companies generally impose dating bans for their trainees and newly-debuted acts in order to portray their artists as "romantically obtainable," as dating publicly can be seen as a scandal or betrayal to fans.
For artists with massive international fan bases, a relationship can quickly become major entertainment news. Lisa's comments suggest that the concern is not only about her own reputation, but also about how her personal life could affect the group.
Always Lalisa will premiere in IMAX and cinemas October 12, with tickets going on sale September 9. The documentary will later arrive on YouTube Premium in 2026.
