Hannah Bahng faces backlash for defending Boys II Planet contestant Leo amid past lyric controversy
Hannah Bahng sparked major backlash after publicly supporting Leo, a Boys II Planet contestant and former HYBE Trainee A member.
She retweeted a video of Leo’s performance with Sangwon, urging fans to vote for him.
Leo has faced controversy for “disgusting” lyrics toward women, which originally blew up during his Trainee A days and resurfaced when he joined Boys II Planet.
After criticism, Hannah posted:
“i would never be friends with a misogynist.”
“at the end of the day you don’t have to take my word for it but i’ve known him for almost 2 years now and i can confidently say LEO genuinely has the kindest and gentlest soul ” — Hannah Bahng on X (July 19, 2025)
Netizens slammed Hannah’s defense, accusing her of dismissing the seriousness of Leo’s violent lyrics.
“’i would never be friends with a misogynist’ yet u literally are ….” — netizen response on X
Critics pointed out that personal friendship doesn’t excuse misogynistic behavior, especially with her public platform.
“Your male friend being kind to you really doesn’t hold any weight to dismiss the Violently Misogynistic lyrics he wrote about a woman that isn’t you…” — netizen reply
Some fans pushed back against the harsh criticism of Hannah, calling out hypocrisy in how she was treated compared to Leo’s male friends.
“Y’all know what’s funny? That y’all try to act feminists against misogyny but there’s many of y’all who don’t jump on any of his male friends but you do on Hannah. Kinda ironic if you ask me.”
The controversy is ongoing as fans debate the line between personal loyalty and accountability in the K-pop industry.
