HYBE’s newest girl group SAINT SATINE hasn’t even debuted yet, but the group is already drowning in controversy after one member was accused of giving off serious “mean girl” energy during a livestream.

The newly confirmed lineup: Sakura, Emily, Lexie, and Samara recently held a live broadcast together ahead of their official debut. Instead of building hype, however, the livestream has triggered intense backlash online.

A viral TikTok clip circulating across social media accuses Lexie of openly acting cold toward Sakura throughout the stream. Viewers pointed to awkward body language, facial expressions, and moments where Sakura allegedly appeared excluded from conversations.

The situation escalated even further because this is not the first time fans have accused Lexie of questionable behavior. Some netizens dragged up older discussions claiming she previously acted similarly toward Emily during earlier content.

Comments quickly flooded social media:

  • Why does Sakura already look uncomfortable in the group?
  • It seems like they didn’t like each other.
  • This group hasn’t debuted and there’s already tension.

Others, however, argued that fans are massively overreacting and creating drama from edited clips taken out of context.

Some defended Lexie, saying viewers are projecting narratives onto normal interactions and unfairly targeting a rookie idol before debut.

Still, critics argue the problem isn’t just the livestream itself — it’s the overall atmosphere fans sensed when Sakura was revealed as the final member. Several viewers claimed the group’s reactions at the time already seemed “off,” fueling speculation that internal chemistry issues may exist behind the scenes.

Neither HYBE nor the members have addressed the growing controversy so far.

But one thing is already clear: SAINT SATINE’s debut rollout has unexpectedly turned messy, and the group is now entering the industry under a cloud of online scrutiny before even releasing a single official song.

Sources: Koreaboo