Veteran Broadway actress Lea Salonga shared why she unfollowed BTS members RM and J-Hope on Instagram. In her Threads account, the Filipino singer explained that she did it for her own sake, while still being grateful to the group for saving her especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fans noticed Lea unfollowed the two South Korean superstars after the two were spotted at a concert of Usher and Chris Brown earlier this month.
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“Your statement on the CB & RM/Jhope issue was firm & appreciated. Has your point of view changed since then?” a fan asked Lea.
“Thank you for asking so kindly. First off, my being a fan can be equated to a single grain of sand on a massive beach. Whatever my actions are won’t affect anyone, except maybe cause consternation in the minds of other fans, which I do expect and accept responsibility for,” she shared.
Lea admitted that she did unfollow the two BTS members but it was for her “own sake” and nothing more. She maintained how she had to take a step back and make the decision for herself alone.
“It’s not meant to be punitive to either of them, at all. But I recognized that I was waking up sad and/or upset, or find myself way too affected. This was unhealthy so I took a step back, for me,” she said.
“As many fans have rightly pointed out, we are owed nothing really. They are autonomous human beings, but so am I, and whatever decisions I make are mine alone. If I hurt anyone in the aftermath, that isn’t my intention but I’m sorry if I hurt you nonetheless,” she added.
The Filipino superstar is a known BTS fan. She has been a vocal supporter since the pandemic, when she got first introduced to their music. While she may have unfollowed the two BTS members, she remains grateful for them nonetheless.
READ: Lea Salonga recalls how BTS saved her mental health during the pandemic
“I am still so grateful for the typhoon they created in my life when they arrived in 2020. I was navigating my marriage ending, raising a teenager, and a global pandemic (not to mention the occasional death threat due to politics). They saved my sanity when I needed saving. I’ll never forget that,” she maintained.
In a separate post, Lea also became accountable with her own actions as netizens posted several photos of her with people they consider ‘problematic.’
“I’ve seen photos of myself taken with some problematic people over the course of my life. At the time the decision didn’t seem like anything important, but later on, were enough to keep me from sleeping. Further research, thought and reflection cemented my own discomfort. I knew I needed to sit and stew in that. I need to hold myself to account for that,” she expressed.
She assured her fans that she has since then learned from her past mistakes and she will ‘walk the walk’ as well.
“I know that I can’t turn back the clock and undo what I’ve done. All I can do is learn from it and do better moving forward. That’s it. That’s all,” she ended.