BTS faces backlash after members attend a concert in Canada
Some BTS fans are voicing their disappointment after members of the group were spotted at a concert in Canada ahead of their own performance.
It’s a busy time for BTS. The K-pop group (which includes members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook) is currently on the U.S. leg of their Arirang World Tour and is scheduled to perform in Toronto at Rogers Stadium on Aug. 22 and 23. Despite their schedule, some members managed to find time to travel and fanboy over their favourite artists.
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J-Hope and RM surprised fans when they attended Usher and Chris Brown’s The R&B Tour at Rogers Stadium in Toronto on Wednesday. J-Hope took to Instagram to share clips of the performances, with one captioned, “Let’s goooooo!”
@uarmyhope/Instagram
He posted a clip that RM shared on Instagram showing the pair dancing and singing to Brown’s song “Look at Me Now.”
They also got the ultimate fan experience: Brown reposted J-Hope’s video on Instagram and posed for photos with the two, while Usher shared photos backstage with the two K-pop idols.
@chrisbrownofficial/Instagram
Usher/Facebook
Some BTS fans were excited to see the members in Toronto.
Hobi and Namjoon are at the Chris Brown and Usher show in Toronto?!?!
My babies!! Hope they have a blast!! I love seeing the Tannies out enjoying LIVING!!
(From Hobi’s IG stories.) pic.twitter.com/nhoDLh9Ub8
— strawberries & sprite⁷ 💜 ⊙⊝⊜ (@StrawberryJBird) August 13, 2026
It’s confirmed 😭 HOBI is here in our country, in TORONTO, CANADA right now for the R&B Tour😭😭😭 Look at the VIP seats, that’s the VIP at @Rogers_Stadium 😭 and the Usher/ Chris Brown concert is happening tonight!!! pic.twitter.com/hei0rWjh8C
— HobiCasa ⊙⊝⊜ARIRANG 🐿️🧡🪥🤳👟 (@HobiCasa) August 13, 2026
When I saw the stage I knew it was Torontoand the Usher and the Chris B concert. I freaked out
— Mimi J.⁷🇨🇦🇭🇹♋︎🪴 (@MimiJanvier) August 13, 2026
Maple ARMYs watching Usher/Chris Brown at Rogers Stadium right now you lucky mfs!
But also shut your eyes and run away 😭
— Elle ⁷ 엘르 | BORONTO! 🇨🇦 (@jinniebaby0T7) August 13, 2026
But given Brown’s multiple controversies and legal cases, fans criticized BTS for supporting the artist.
The American singer pled guilty to felony assault for attacking then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. In 2014, he pled guilty to misdemeanour assault after hitting a man outside a hotel in Washington, D.C. More recently in July, he pled guilty to threatening and attacking a man at a London nightclub in 2023; he will be sentenced in October.
Brown’s history of violence had fans questioning BTS’ decision to attend the concert, especially after RM addressed accusations of misogyny in a 2021 interview with ABC News’ Juju Chang.
“Personally, I received a lot of criticism regarding misogyny in 2015 and 2016, which led me to get my lyrics reviewed by a women’s studies professor,” he shared.
“That experience, in turn, was an opportunity for me to self-reflect and question whether I’d been insensitive to gender equality. I want to do the best I can to take interest in the topic, learn, and make improvements.”
RM’s comments made his decision to attend Brown’s concert even harder to reconcile for some fans.
One commenter who was at the event wrote on Reddit, “I worked at this concert today (I work at concerts and shows as my career; unfortunately, majority of the fans were, in fact, women). I had no idea they were in the stadium. Fyi their concert at this same venue is next weekend, so they really did take a flight to Toronto just to see him.”
“I’m going to the Toronto show, and then I think I gotta hang up my bangtan hat. All (most) men do is disappoint fr,” one commenter stated.
One Canadian fan stated on Facebook, “That’s so disappointing.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” shared another.
“I’m seeing them in Toronto next week, I’ve literally been surviving the last eight months on the fact that I’M SEEING BTS IRL since I got tickets in presale lmao and this whole week has given me the ick 😭😭,” stated another commenter.
Another called it “tone deaf” considering the majority of BTS fans are women.
“I thought they were critical and, well, frankly smart enough to pick and choose who they endorse in public. Especially when it comes to, you know, rapists who beat women?” stated one Redditor.
However, one commenter defended BTS, stating that artists are “bound to have interactions with each other.”
“I think most people who are disappointed really need to take a reality check and stop revolving their lives around celebrities,” they wrote.
One commenter replied, “These are not random interactions, though they went willingly to the concert and willingly took pictures… Why shouldn’t people be disappointed?… Many artists set standards for themselves, and when they fall short of them, and especially in this case support known abusers, people are allowed to be disappointed and angry.”
BTS also faced criticism for collaborating with American producer Diplo on several tracks on their album Arirang. According to The Los Angeles Times, the DJ and record producer also faces multiple civil lawsuits and criminal investigations of sexual misconduct and distributing revenge porn.