The world-renowned Filipino singer Lea Salonga is regarded as a veteran of the music industry and a prime example of an artist whose influence has transcended generations. Her name has been αѕѕociated with more than a dozen musical productions throughout her 42-year career. In 2011, Disney even honored her as a Disney Legend, recognizing her globally renowned singing voice in clαѕѕic animated films such as Aladdin (1992) and Mulan (1998, 2004).

Meanwhile, this music legend is also well known as an ARMY, never hesitating to express her love and admiration for artists who are much younger than she is. When asked which K-pop group she would choose if she could listen to only one for the rest of her life, Lea said it would be BTS. She also revealed that the group’s music had helped her get through difficult periods and maintain her mental well-being.

Lea has even shown the same level of enthusiasm as any young fan. She once went to see BTS: Yet To Come in theaters and excitedly shared photos of herself posing in front of V’s poster when she attended the BTS ARIRANG Busan concert. Most recently, she also attended the concert at MetLife and posted a video of Taehyung’s performance of “FYA.” Lea excitedly wrote, “Thanks, @thv, for looking into my camera! You truly are special!” and even received a Like from V.

As both a veteran in the industry and a major BTS fan, it is not hard to see why she was dragged into the controversy surrounding the recent backlash from some fans over BTS members attending Chris Brown’s concert.

Specifically, amid the wave of disappointment and criticism from some fans over BTS being αѕѕociated with an artist with a history of criminal offenses, νισℓєи¢є, and ѕєχual misconduct like Chris Brown, several social media accounts shared a post claiming: “World renowned broadway singer (singing voice of Disney's Mulan and Princess Jasmine) who's a fan of BTS has expressed her disappointment in the members via IG for supporting an abuser.” They attached a screenshot of an Instagram Story posted by Lea with the brief caption: “Disappointed. So disappointed.”

The important thing is that Lea Salonga’s post did not mention BTS at all. Yet these accounts still used the fact that she is “a BTS fan” to imply that her “disappointment” was directed at the members for “supporting an abuser.” Recognizing this as an attempt to distort the truth and direct further backlash toward BTS, the ARMY community quickly stepped in to uncover the context behind Lea Salonga’s post.

One fan pointed out: “The story isn't about them, you idiot, lol. She's talking about world problems, then she posted a normal video about Tae and a story about a BTS concert, lol. Better luck next time.” And when looking at all the content Lea posted on her Instagram Story, the context became even clearer!

The Instagram Story saying “Disappointed. So disappointed.” was followed by a series of posts in which the singer shared information about various issues happening around the world, including Warrantless ICE Raid on US Citizen, the issue of splitting vaccines into 5 visits, politics, ŕäċïṩṃ, ѕєχism, and other social issues. More notably, after the supposedly “disappointing” post, Lea continued sharing content related to BTS. One notable example was a 4K video capturing V’s performance of “Best Of Me” in Baltimore.

These actions clearly do not suggest that Lea was turning her back on BTS or expressing disappointment in the group!

Therefore, the controversy this time is not really about whether Lea Salonga has the right to feel disappointed, but rather how a statement that did not mention BTS at all was attached to an ongoing controversy and presented as if it meant soмєтнing completely different. Many ARMYs subsequently urged the community to stay level-headed: “ARMYs! Media outlets, music industry, haters watch BTS’ every move like hawks waiting for any sort of misstep so that they can have their gotcha moment.”

As the controversy continues to heat up, it is more important than ever for fans to distinguish between “disappointment” and a “hate train,” as well as between “valid criticism” and content deliberately distorted to bring BTS down. Without staying alert, it is ultimately the fans themselves who could end up being used for malicious purposes.