In recent days, BTS has υиєχρє¢тє∂ly found itself at the center of a heated debate within the ARMY community after some members made moves involving Chris Brown. Among them, RM and j-hope flew to ¢αиα∂α to attend a show from Usher and Chris Brown’s The R&B Tour at Rogers Centre in Toronto.
Notably, while watching the performance, j-hope also posted a video on his Instagram Story, capturing the moment he and RM immersed themselves in the lively atmosphere of the concert, clearly excited and enjoying the performance. RM later reposted j-hope’s Story on his own Instagram account.
However, given Chris Brown’s controversial past, including serious allegations involving νισℓєи¢є, ѕєχual misconduct, and criminal offenses, the sight of j-hope and RM happily enjoying the concert became one of the main triggers for anger among some fans.
In the hours that followed, waves of disappointment and criticism flooded social media. Some fans called on the BTS members to delete the video and apologize publicly, while others even announced that they were leaving the fandom after years of supporting the group. The increasingly heated reactions gradually turned the debate into a serious rift within the fan community.
Less than 24 hours after the controversy erupted, the news appeared to have reached the members. Although кσяєαn media outlets repeatedly praised the event as a “star-studded gathering of top stars,” and not all fans reacted harshly, the public pressure still seemed to prompt j-hope to take a notable step: he quietly deleted the video of himself and RM dancing along to the concert from his Instagram Story.
At present, while the Story reposting j-hope’s post is still up on RM’s account, the original video has disappeared from j-hope’s Instagram. His current Story only contains a repost of a series of photos documenting his time in Baltimore.
Although j-hope has not given any explanation, the move clearly suggests that he became aware of what fans were saying on social media. After seeing posts calling for the video to be deleted, demands for an apology, and expressions of disappointment from some ARMYs, he surely could not have felt comfortable seeing the backlash and decided to remove the controversial Story out of respect for his fans’ feelings.
From this perspective, j-hope’s decision to delete the video can be seen as a gesture showing that he is willing to listen to the fandom. However, for many other ARMYs, the move was нєαятвяєαкιиg in its own way, as they felt sad seeing the idol have to witness some of the people who once loved and supported him turn against him so harshly over a simple moment of enjoying music.
One ARMY emphasized that disappointment and a “hate train” are two completely different things. The fan wrote: "People who genuinely love someone have every right to feel disappointed but suddenly turning that disappointment into hate as if you never loved or supported them, is different". Another fan also expressed: "Can’t imagine what it’s like to have your every decision turned into everyone questioning your morality.”
On the other hand, even if we do not agree with the members’ actions, we should not turn a private night out to enjoy music into the label that “BTS are actively supporting an abuser.” As artists who have devoted more than a decade to their craft, RM and j-hope attending a large-scale concert featuring artists such as Usher and Chris Brown can simply be viewed as an opportunity to experience and learn more about music and choreography. There is a huge difference between “supporting an individual’s wrongdoing” and “acknowledging their objective contributions to music and choreography.”
Continually scrutinizing and placing harsh labels on what was ultimately a private night of entertainment can inadvertently take away their right to simply live as ordinary human beings. ARMYs pointed out that perhaps the harsh reaction from some fans should stop here: "Please be more mindful of your words. It hurts them so much", "If Usher invites Namjoon and Hobi attending his concert?" Why are u guys so toxic?", "Disappointment is valid, but this hate is getting out of hand. At least they were once people you loved", "Can we stop judging every single thing they do? You're seriously overreacting", "You’ve already made your criticism heard, and j-hope has deleted the post. Let’s just stop here"...
