Producers Of Chinese Drama Apologise For Using Pic Of Blackpink’s Rosé & Depicting Her As A Sex Worker In Show

The makers of Chinese drama Justice In The Dark have been slammed by fans of K-pop group Blackpink for inappropriately using singer Rosé’s photo in the series.

Not only did they use the 26-year-old’s pic without permission, she was depicted as a sex worker.

The drama, which is currently airing on several Chinese video platforms, is set in a fictional world where organised crime has taken over society.

In the scene, an undercover police officer goes to a hotel requesting for sexual services. He is handed a catalog of photos to choose from and among them is a pic of Rosé.

Though it only appears for a few seconds, eagle-eyed fans recognised the photo and pointed out that the background, and the woman's pose and outfit were identical to that of Rosé's. Only minor edits were done to her facial features.

Fans were furious and took to the internet to call out the drama.

"Did they really think people wouldn’t notice? Whoever produced that show are a bunch of morons" and "Can't you just take photos of a few actors? Why do you have to photoshop other people's photos?" were some of the comments.

Following the uproar, the scene was deleted from the drama.

However, what infuriated fans was the attempt by the producers to sweep the controversy under the carpet, with nary an explanation or apology.

"Are they pretending nothing happened simply by deleting the scene? Are they not going to apologise and give an explanation?" asked one netizen.

Producers have since issued a statement, apologising for their “negligence”.

“The photo was a mistake due to negligence on the part of our production team, and it has negatively impacted Miss Park Chaeyoung’s (Rosé's) image and reputation. We apologise to Miss Park Chaeyoung (Rosé), her fans, the broadcasting platform, and the viewers,” read the statement on Weibo.

However, netizens were still dissatisfied and have called for the drama to be taken down.

They said the drama touches on subject of sex work, which is "illegal", and should not have been aired in the first place.

Photos: Rosé/Instagram, Weibo