After School alum and Mask Girl actress Nana has responded after viewers said her lips distracted from her performance in Netflix's new Joseon-era drama The Scandal. On Tuesday, 22 September, she addressed the criticism directly, saying, 'If my lips made viewers uncomfortable, that's my fault.'
Her comments came days after The Scandal premiered globally on Friday, 18 September, with Nana playing Hui-yeon, a widowed woman pulled into a dangerous wager between Lady Cho, played by Son Ye-jin, and notorious seducer Cho Won, played by Ji Chang-wook. The role marks Nana's first Korean historical drama, but conversation around her performance quickly shifted towards her appearance.
Viewers Say Nana's Lips Distracted From The Scandal
Following the series' release, viewers began discussing whether Nana's contemporary appearance worked within its Joseon-era setting. Her lips became a particular focus, with some viewers saying their fullness was distracting enough to affect their immersion in the period drama. Others speculated that Nana had undergone lip filler, although the actress has not publicly confirmed that she received that specific cosmetic treatment.
Nana deserves all the backlash she’s getting over her lips in Scandal, because how can you star in a historical drama and show up to set every day with those duck lips? https://t.co/dZ4mq6YvkC
— anya (@IbarahimeAnya) September 21, 2026
The criticism spread across social media alongside screenshots and clips from the series, with some posts comparing Nana's appearance in The Scandal with earlier roles. Much of the debate centred not on her acting itself, but on whether a visibly modern beauty aesthetic felt out of place on Hui-yeon, a young widow living under the strict social expectations of Joseon Korea. The conversation became prominent enough for Nana to address it directly rather than leave the speculation unanswered.
Nana Says Her 'Personal Choice' Was Not Right for Her as an Actress
Nana responded to the criticism through the fan communication platform Bubble on Tuesday, 22 September. 'If my lips made viewers uncomfortable, that's my fault,' she wrote, adding, 'I think my personal choice was not the right one for me as an actress.' Her wording acknowledged a personal choice connected to the criticism but did not specify what that choice was, leaving claims about any particular cosmetic procedure unverified.
The actress also turned her attention to fans who had watched the criticism escalate online. 'I think it must hurt the fans who love me to see the harsh criticism of me, and that makes me feel even more sorry,' Nana said. She added that she would work so that she and her supporters could 'hear good things together' in the future.
So they made nana apologize for her lips??
— TeeTee (@TreasuredYeaji) September 22, 2026
Damn!! pic.twitter.com/nzYK9REq1Z
Her response also prompted support, with some viewers arguing that the criticism of her appearance had been excessive and that her lips had not interfered with their enjoyment of the drama. In her message, Nana instead focused on her own response to the criticism, saying she believed her personal choice had not been right for her as an actress.
The Scandal Gives Nana Her First Historical Drama Role
In The Scandal, Hui-yeon has vowed to remain chaste after losing her husband before becoming entangled in a seductive game between Lady Cho and Cho Won. Netflix describes the limited series as a reimagining of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos's 1782 novel Dangerous Liaisons, transporting its story of desire, manipulation and betrayal into Joseon-era Korea.
Watch below: Nana stars alongside Son Ye-jin and Ji Chang-wook in the official trailer for Netflix's The Scandal.
The eight-episode drama also places Nana in a dramatically different visual world from contemporary projects such as Netflix's Mask Girl, in which she played one incarnation of Kim Mo-mi. In The Scandal, traditional clothing, restrained styling and the historical setting make Hui-yeon one of Nana's biggest aesthetic departures on screen. The attention surrounding her lips has since become part of the broader discussion around her transformation. However, Nana did not specify what she meant by her 'personal choice', leaving any claims about a particular cosmetic procedure unverified.
