Brazilian Critic Who Insulted BTS as "Totally Like a Woman, Full of Vanity" Suspends SNS Amid ARMY's Outcry Against "Hate Speech" [K-EYES]

*This content was translated by AI.

A Brazilian influencer who made derogatory remarks against BTS (BTS: Jung-kook, Jimin, Jin, J-Hope, RM, Suga), calling them "men who are feminine and full of vanity," has temporarily suspended their social media activities following intense backlash from fans.

On the 19th (local time), immediately after BTS concluded their performance at the halftime show of the '2026 FIFA World Cup' final held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA, Brazilian conservative influencer Pietra Bertolazzi posted on her Instagram Story: "The most shocking thing I saw today in the final was that men who look and pose completely feminine and full of vanity—people whose names I don't even know and don't want to know—are now one of the biggest role models for this generation."

Bertolazzi, who has over 1 million followers, is a conservative commentator with anti-feminist leanings who has been active on topics such as religion, politics, and traditional family values. Upon learning of her remarks, ARMY (BTS fans) worldwide strongly protested, calling it "homophobic and xenophobic speech." Local Brazilian netizens also voiced their opposition, stating that "criticizing musical taste is one thing, but demeaning someone based on appearance or gender expression is a different issue," labeling the comments as prejudiced remarks promoting gender stereotypes.

As the controversy grew, Bertolazzi deleted the problematic post and restricted comments, but later reignited the debate by posting again with sarcastic remarks such as "In the past, men built cathedrals and crossed oceans, but now it's an era where people express themselves through skincare and dance," and "Thanks to K-pop, patriarchy is coming to an end." This post, which was criticized for mocking the weakening of masculinity, was eventually deleted.

Another influencer involved in the same controversy, Eduarda Valeria, was reported to have used homophobic slurs, leading to pressure on a cosmetics brand that had signed an advertising contract with her to terminate their collaboration amid fan demands.

Following this, retaliatory actions against Bertolazzi continued online. Local journalist Gabriel Perlini shared on X (formerly Twitter) that "Bertolazzi made homophobic and xenophobic remarks about BTS. As a result, fans obtained her personal information and registered her as an election ballot clerk across all regions of Brazil," adding the message "Thank you, ARMY." Ballot clerks are personnel who are mandatorily assigned to assist at polling stations on election day. The post gained significant traction and spread widely.

Some media outlets reported that Bertolazzi's email address and phone number were added to mass messaging lists, subjecting her to repeated spam messages. Bertolazzi's side claimed that their personal information had been leaked and misused, leading them to convert their Instagram account to private and announce the suspension of social media activities. Her public relations team has not issued any official statement on the matter, nor have they disclosed when she might return to social media.

Reactions to this incident in Brazil are divided. Many Brazilian netizens supported the fans' response, calling it a "justified reaction to hate speech." However, others expressed concern over the methods used, including the leakage of personal information and online retaliation.

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*This content was translated by AI.