BTS Jimin’s Backup Dancer Apologizes For Sharing Allegedly Racist “Shipping” Edit

A dancer who recently worked with BTS‘s Jimin is under fire after sharing an allegedly racist edit of the two.

Since Jimin released his solo album FACE and has been promoting the song “Like Crazy,” his backup dancers have been getting love too.

In both the MV and live performances, a woman dancer acts as Jimin’s “reflection.” When Jimin performed “Like Crazy” in New York City on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he worked with U.S.-based dancers. The woman who danced alongside Jimin, Julia Alaimo, received a lot of attention after the performance was aired.

Girlies name is Julia Alaimo and I think I found my new girl crush 👀 pic.twitter.com/2kV2j9TybJ

— nadine (@yoongi_yaaah) March 25, 2023

julia alaimo, the brilliant dancer who was jimin’s reflection on his jimmy fallon stage posted this.

she tagged bighit performance directors lee byungeun and yoon seongeun and thanked them for trusting their “precious jimin” with the dancers 😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/LEzt7zzZPl

— zizi⁷🪞d-16 (@kokakoos) March 26, 2023

HOW TO BE JULIA ALAIMO??! 🥹 #likecrazy

pic.twitter.com/3XKAsrkCuy

— ♡ (@rkivebam) March 25, 2023

With Vogue releasing the video “A Day With BTS’s Jimin in NYC,” the dancers have garnered attention once again. Dancer Julia Alaimo also shared some cute moments of Jimin and the dancers laughing together in her Instagram Stories.

Dancer Julia Alaimo, who performed with Jimin on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, posted Vogue's 'A Day With BTS's Jimin in NYC' on her Instagram story and added "some sweet moments in rehearsal as he discusses the journey behind the album."

Jimin is always the sweetest ☺️ pic.twitter.com/gtjNYldP3d

— Jimin Global 🌍 (@JiminGlobal) April 9, 2023

Yet, her following post received mixed reactions from ARMYs.

Dancer Julia Alaimo shared an edit using the same photo from above but focusing only on her and Jimin. They were edited in wedding attire with a cake and rings. She captioned the post, “LOL.”

While some ARMYs thought the edit was hilarious…

Jimin's backup dancer just post this !!!
I mean same girl 😭 pic.twitter.com/iRD4Bdkn4O

— Chanandler 🌙 (@Chxmdler_) April 9, 2023

Others found it concerning. Many found it inappropriate for a dancer to share a “shipping” edit with someone they worked with, but they also noticed an allegedly racist aspect to it as well.

this is the dancer who was in jimin's choreography for like crazy… pic.twitter.com/z41JoOAIlM

— star 🕋📿 (@agustdackerman) April 9, 2023

isn’t this ole girl yall was giving 25k likes to about saying how much y’all want her??/?? 🙁 oh my https://t.co/EOyxevgBHq

— keke⁷ d-19 🩶🖤 (@stallseok) April 9, 2023

mind you no i didnt see the chopsticks im half blind rn without glasses but she probably genuinely just saw her and jimin and a clear wedding pick and reposted it thinking it was cringe but hilarious
im sure she genuinely had no ill intent or malicious joking

— bibi. D-DAY!🫶🏼 (@AGUSTBRI_) April 9, 2023

The wedding cake is what has many disturbed by the dancer’s post. The cake in question is actually the “Love, Honor, Cherish Cake” from Jacques Pastries, a Wedding Cake Bakery in New Hampshire, from its Asian Inspired collection of cakes. The cake contains not only chopsticks and a fan as the cake topper but Chinese on the middle tier.

Since Julia Alaimo shared the edit, she has received lots of criticism. So, she deleted the post and posted clarification and an apology. She explained that she had not made the edit but only reposted it. Alaimo also apologized for offending anyone.

Julia Alaimo has previously reposted ARMYs’ edits, so she likely did so out of habit after being sent it without paying attention to the details.

dancer Julia Alaimo , who danced with Jimin on Fallon's show added an tik tok edit with Jimin 😌💫👇
👩 – " loving these edits 😍"#JIMIN #Like_Crazy #ParkJimin pic.twitter.com/0BJKHkDJhR

— Madlyn⁷ 💜HISTORY MAKER JIMIN💫 (@Madlyn46218051) April 9, 2023