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Award-winning Broadway actress and singer Lea Salonga opened up about her decision to unfollow BTS members RM and J-Hope on Instagram, saying the move was a personal decision she made after realizing that her fandom was beginning to affect her emotional well-being.

Lea addressed the issue on Threads after fans noticed that she had unfollowed the two BTS members following reports that RM and J-Hope were among those spotted at a concert featuring Usher and Chris Brown earlier this month.

Responding to a fan who asked whether her views on the issue had changed, Lea confirmed that she did unfollow the two artists but emphasized that her decision was not intended as a punishment.

“Thank you for asking so kindly. First off, my being a fan can be equated to a single grain of sand on a massive beach. Whatever my actions are won't affect anyone, except maybe cause consternation in the minds of other fans, which I do expect and accept responsibility for,” Lea said.

"Yes I did unfollow, but I did it for my own sake. It's not meant to be punitive to either of them, at all," she explained.

The Miss Saigon star explained that she had reached a point where her attachment to the situation was taking an emotional toll.

"But I recognized that I was waking up sad and/or upset, or find myself way too affected. This was unhealthy so I took a step back, for me," Lea shared.

At the same time, she acknowledged that BTS members are entitled to make their own choices, just as she is entitled to make decisions for herself.

"As many fans have rightly pointed out, we are owed nothing really. They are autonomous human beings, but so am I, and whatever decisions I make are mine alone," she said.

Lea also apologized to anyone who may have been hurt by her decision, clarifying that causing distress among fellow fans was never her intention. Despite her decision to create some distance, Lea made it clear that her appreciation for BTS has not disappeared.

The singer looked back on how the group's music became a source of comfort during a particularly difficult period in her life.

"I am still so grateful for the typhoon they created in my life when they arrived in 2020," she said.

Lea recalled navigating several personal challenges at the time, including the end of her marriage, raising a teenager, and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

"They saved my sanity when I needed saving. I'll never forget that," she added.

View on Threads

Beyond the BTS controversy, Lea also used her Threads posts to reflect on criticism she received over photos of herself with people whom some netizens consider problematic.

She admitted that she initially reacted defensively after being criticized online, even blocking one person who confronted her.

"I got yelled at here today for choices I've made that make me come across as hypocritical or perhaps problematic. I knee-jerk blocked without reflection," Lea wrote.

After reconsidering the criticism, however, she acknowledged that the person had a point.

"You know what, that person was right. Absolutely right," she said, while adding that she wished the criticism had been delivered more kindly.

Lea went on to say that she has also looked back on past photographs with people whose actions or views later made her uncomfortable.

"At the time the decision didn't seem like anything important, but later on, were enough to keep me from sleeping," she shared.

Rather than dismissing those concerns, Lea said she believes she has a responsibility to examine her own choices just as she expects others to be accountable for theirs.

"How do I demand accountability from anyone if I'm unable to be accountable in turn? Can't just talk the talk, gotta walk the walk, too," she said.

Ultimately, Lea acknowledged that she cannot change decisions she made in the past but can choose how she moves forward.

"I know that I can't turn back the clock and undo what I've done. All I can do is learn from it and do better moving forward. That's it. That's all," she wrote.

View on Threads

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