Jennie Opens Up About Her Mother: “I Just Want to Live Happily With Mom and Make Her Proud”

BLACKPINK’s Jennie revealed her deep love and respect for her mother in a touching interview on tvN’s You Quiz on the Block, aired May 7.

During the show, host Yoo Jae-suk brought up Jennie’s emotional moment at Coachella, where she tearfully shouted “I love you, Mom” while performing her final song “Starlight”.

Jennie admitted, “I promised myself I wouldn’t cry. But it was the last song and my mom was watching… then it all just burst out. I still can’t watch that video—it’s just me sobbing.”

When asked about the lyric “I just wanted to make my mom proud”, Jennie reflected on her journey:

“My job is so glamorous on the outside, but there were times when I was struggling, blaming myself, feeling overwhelmed. I’d wonder, ‘Why am I doing this? What’s my dream?’ And then it hit me—I just want to live happily with my mom and make her proud. I didn’t need to chase anything else. That reminder grounded me.”

Jennie, who was raised by her mother alone, added that her mother was also moved to tears during the performance.

“I heard she cried under the stage. Afterward, she patted me and said, ‘You worked so hard.’ I thought she’d be super excited, but she just comforted me quietly. When I went to fix my makeup, she was already gone,” Jennie said with a smile.

Yoo Jae-suk then asked what kind of person her mother is. Jennie replied, “My mom told me not to talk about her today! She said, ‘Everyone saw that clip, and now people see me and Jennie as something grand, but we’re just a regular mom and daughter. Today, just talk about yourself!’”

She also touched on her early years studying in New Zealand. Sent to study abroad at just ten years old, Jennie revealed, “We’ve talked about it more now that I’m an adult. My mom said she just wanted me to grow up in a bigger world. I stayed with a homestay family. I think I knew even back then—if I stayed in Korea, it would’ve meant studying non-stop.”

This rare peek into Jennie’s personal world showed a different side of the star—beyond the global stages and designer brands, she’s simply a daughter striving to make her mother proud.