"STAY AWAY FROM THEM"- Fans divided as MrBeast expresses desire to collaborate with BLACKPINK at the VMAs amidst controversies

American YouTuber and entrepreneur MrBeast, aka James Stephen Donaldson, recently mentioned BLACKPINK. At the MTV Video Music Awards on September 8, 2025, when asked which artists he wanted to collaborate with, he responded,

“Anyone from BLACKPINK, that would be crazy. Like Rosé or Lisa that will be wild.”

The response quickly circulated online, eliciting mixed reactions from fans. While some welcomed the idea of a crossover between the global K-pop group and the YouTuber, others strongly opposed it.

For those unfamiliar, MrBeast’s comments about the global girl group come as he faces ongoing controversies. Criticism has emerged over the maintenance of water wells built through his philanthropy in Africa, and working conditions during the filming of The Beast Games. Questions about transparency in his charity projects have also been raised.

Additionally, he has faced accusations of s*xual misconduct, colonialist undertones in his work, and scrutiny over the fairness of his giveaways. After MrBeast mentioned the K-pop group at the VMAs, social media platforms flooded with responses from fans around the world. Fans were divided on whether such a collaboration should ever happen. One fan commented,

Anna ♱

@cherryplushies

@yk2aii YEAH STAY AWAY FROM THEM . ((((:

Many users expressed that BLACKPINK should not be associated with the YouTuber, citing his ongoing controversies and questioning his motives. Reactions ranged from humorous comments to outright refusals, with several fans making it clear they did not want to see the group involved in any project with him.

angélique 🖤🩷 ✨

@AngeliqueLiquee

@yk2aii Bro needs to never even be around to breathe the same air as them, like stay away 💀

rosie is on my mind

@roseisinyourea

@yk2aii How about a big fat NO!

Besides rejecting the idea of a collaboration, many fans pointed out MrBeast's mispronunciation of Rosé's name during the interview. His calling her "Ro'se" instead of "Rosé" sparked more criticism on social media. Some emphasized that he should at least learn how to pronounce the members' names correctly before expressing interest in working with them.

юля: forward🦋

@Yulililililia

@yk2aii Bro, you can’t even pronounce Rosé correctly, stay away from them

⨯HeroVax ❅

@HeroVaxy

@yk2aii If you want to make a video with them, try pronouncing their names correctly first

Amid the wave of criticism, some fans tried to see the positive side. They speculated about what-if scenarios if MrBeast collaborated with the K-pop group. They imagined his famous massive challenges with a K-pop twist, blending the group's talent with his high-budget video ideas.

L

@Lisapeeonme

if he can do a “blackpink locked in the studio for 30 days challenge” im here for it!

m

@rockpinks

making blackpink members survive in an remote island with nothing but studio equipment

Bulbasaur

@Your_bulbasaur

We want a "blackpink makes an album in 30 days" challenge.

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Rosé makes history with Song of the Year win at VMAs 2025, Lisa wins Best K-Pop as BLACKPINK resumes Deadline tour

At the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards at New York's UBS Arena, BLACKPINK member Rosé made history as the first Korean winner of Song of the Year. She received the award for her single APT., a collaboration with American singer Bruno Mars. The girl group also achieved another milestone when Lisa won Best K-Pop for her collaboration Born Again with Doja Cat and Raye.

Rosé poses with the Song of the Year Award for "Apt." with Bruno Mars during the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/WireImage)

Meanwhile, BLACKPINK is preparing to return to the stage for their Deadline world tour. After a one-month break, the group will kick off the Asian leg of the tour in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on October 18 and 19, 2025. Stops in Bangkok, Jakarta, and Bocaue will follow, with the tour concluding in Singapore.