In an industry where the dignity of seniority is put above anything else, including age, can a trainee survive after “dissing” a K-Pop idol? The career path of Fu Yaning might lead to a sensible answer.
Fu was one of the participants on Mnet’s idol survival show, Girls Planet 999. Despite it being a platform for her to showcase her talents, what she is most remembered for is the “diss” she threw at Yujin, her co-contestant who, as a member of CLC, was already several years senior of an idol.
During one of the episodes, Fu Yaning was set to cover CLC’s “Helicopter.” When the hosts asked if she wanted to say something to Yujin, she opted to “diss” her with a modified lyric from the song, “We go up! But you don’t.”
Needless to say, this move didn’t sit well with viewers, and Fu Yaning was rebuked for her lack of respect toward Yujin. But many also suspected that it was orchestrated by the network itself, which is infamous for its “evil editing.”
Later, after the show was over and Yujin debuted as a member of Kep1er, Fu Yaning exposed the truth behind that “diss” in an interview, affirming that it was the higher-ups behind the camera who pushed her to do it, perhaps in search of a sensational moment. But making that comment to Yujin, whom Fu Yaning seemed to be very close with in real life, as well as the aftermath of that comment was detrimental for the young contestant.
Perhaps you all didn’t see there was anything wrong with me, but I was actually holding my tears back. I called my parents and said, ‘I feel so upset,’ and started crying. They were trying to convince me that it was okay. No one knows what the truth is.
— Fu Yaning
After Girls Planet 999, the second time Fu Yaning gained widespread public attention was only recently, in January. In an Instagram post, she shared an anecdote, saying that she conveniently “changed” her sexual orientation to avoid being approached by a man in public.
Someone hit on me at the cafe, and I rejected with, ‘I have a girlfriend.’ It’s good to change my sexual orientation sometimes haha.
— Fu Yaning
Many netizens were enraged by her actions, deeming her behavior insensitive toward the queer community, which is even further marginalized in certain parts of Asia.
After two such back-to-back controversies, curiosity begets the question: where is Fu Yaning now?
In between these controversies, Fu Yaning actually made her official debut in China, both as a singer and an actress under the stage name Yenny. In December 2021, she debuted as an actress in a supporting role in My Heart, a Chinese drama. The following year, she released her debut EP Ning with its eponymous title track, “Ning.”
Despite her controversies, Fu seems to have a prolific career, given that she recently put out a new song, “Why Not.” In a behind-the-scenes video, the singer-actress confessed that she stepped into the studio after one whole year for this song.
Apart from releasing her own music, Fu Yaning is also highly active on YouTube, where she posts song and dance covers, vlog-style videos, and even ASMR content!
Though the K-Pop idol route seemingly hasn’t worked out for Fu, her career is definitely thriving despite the troubles she has run into so far.
