BLACKPINK’s Lisa has revealed that she kept several past relationships secret because she was worried her dating life could affect the group’s popularity.
The 29-year-old singer spoke about the pressures surrounding relationships in K-pop in her upcoming documentary, Always Lalisa, according to a 3 September report by the Toronto Star that was subsequently cited by outlets including Complex and The Korea Times.
Lisa Says She Had a Few Relationships When She Was Younger
Lisa described the K-pop environment she experienced as one where celebrities could face consequences for dating openly.
“In K-pop culture, we can’t date,” she said in the documentary, according to the Toronto Star.
She explained that being photographed with someone she was seeing could hurt an idol’s popularity.
Lisa then revealed that she had been in several relationships when she was younger, but kept them private because she did not want her personal life to negatively affect BLACKPINK.
It is a rare acknowledgement of her romantic history, given how closely her private life has been watched since BLACKPINK became one of the biggest K-pop groups in the world.
Importantly, Lisa’s comments concern relationships from her past. They should not be taken as confirmation of any of the dating rumours that have surrounded her in recent years.
Her Song “Dream” Was Inspired by One of Those Relationships
Lisa also revealed that “Dream”, a song on her 2025 solo album Alter Ego, was inspired by one of the relationships she had kept secret.
Before releasing the song, she said she contacted the person involved and asked for permission to use the experience in her music.
According to Lisa, the person agreed as long as fans could not work out their identity. She joked in the documentary that although fans might believe they had solved the mystery, she did not think they had.
So yes, somewhere out there is apparently a person who knows exactly which parts of “Dream” are about them.
The rest of us can continue staring at the lyrics like detectives who were never actually hired.
Documentary Also Looks Back at Her Years as a K-pop Trainee
The relationship revelations form part of a wider look at the pressures Lisa experienced after leaving Thailand at 14 to train in South Korea.
The official Always Lalisa website says the documentary follows Lisa through a year in which she pursued her solo music career, made her acting debut in The White Lotus and prepared for her solo Coachella performance.
According to reporting based on the film, Lisa also becomes emotional while looking back at her trainee years, when she underwent regular evaluations and felt unable to freely voice her opinions.
Sony Music Vision describes Always Lalisa as documenting a period in which Lisa stepped away from BLACKPINK activities for a year and explored her career and personal life more independently.
Always Lalisa Premieres at TIFF on 11 September
Always Lalisa, directed by Sue Kim, is scheduled to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 11 September 2026.
Sony Music Vision says the documentary will then begin a limited worldwide run in IMAX and other cinemas on 12 October.
It is scheduled to become available globally on YouTube Premium later in 2026, although an exact streaming date has not been announced.
