'Racial Discrimination' Ros? Was in the 'Center'... Madonna Reveals Photos from the Event

Madonna Posts Photos on Social Media
Ros? Seated in the Center
Elle Issues Apology: "No Intention to Offend Anyone"

It has been revealed that Ros?, a member of the girl group BLACKPINK who recently found herself at the center of a controversy over racial discrimination at Paris Fashion Week, was seated in what is known as the "center seat" at the event.

On October 3 (local time), pop star Madonna posted photos from the Saint Laurent Women's 2026 Spring/Summer Collection show, which was held in Paris on September 29, on her social media account.

The released photos show Ros? seated in the center among global celebrities, including Madonna's family, Charli XCX, Hailey Bieber, and Zo? Kravitz.

Photos from Paris Fashion Week shared by Madonna on the 3rd (local time) on social media. Ros? of BLACKPINK is seated in the center. Photo by Madonna Instagram capture

The reason these photos drew attention was due to the controversy over racial discrimination that erupted after the event. On September 30, the British fashion magazine Elle UK posted a group photo from the event on its official social media account, but edited and removed Ros?-who was a global ambassador for Saint Laurent and a key figure at the event-from the image. The post received intense criticism and sparked a racial discrimination controversy.

The controversy continued on the social media accounts of other celebrities who attended the event. Charli XCX posted photos in which she had her back turned to Ros? or where only Ros? appeared darkened, and Hailey Bieber shared these images, further fueling the controversy. Fans and international media criticized the situation as "blatant exclusion of Asians."

Ultimately, Elle UK issued an apology via its official Instagram story two days later. Elle UK stated, "We sincerely apologize for cropping BLACKPINK's Ros? out of a recent Paris Fashion Week post during the resizing process. There was absolutely no intention to offend anyone, and the post has been deleted."

Ros? has not released a separate statement regarding the incident. On her own social media, she posted, "Thank you to Saint Laurent Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello. His work is always beautiful."

Since 2020, Ros? has served as a global ambassador for Saint Laurent. Earlier this year, she also expanded her role by being appointed as a global ambassador for Yves Saint Laurent Beauty.