HYBE Idol’s Behavior At “Super Bowl” Hit With Scathing Criticism

SEVENTEEN’s Joshua recently made a surprise appearance at the Super Bowl, instantly catching the attention of fans and international netizens.

| @joshu_acoustic/Instagram

The idol was spotted attending the major American sporting event, making him one of the few K-Pop stars present this year. While many CARATs were thrilled to see Joshua at such a high-profile global event, online reactions quickly became divided.

A short video shared by the National Football League on X (formerly Twitter) showed Joshua walking at the stadium. Unfortunately, the clip has drawn a lot of criticism and even mockery.

Joshua from SEVENTEEN is here for his first Super Bowl! #SuperBowlLX @pledis_17 pic.twitter.com/HS9v6LgeBA

— NFL (@NFL) February 8, 2026

Many questioned why Joshua was featured at the Super Bowl at all, arguing that he did not belong at an event centered around American football. Some accused him of acting overly confident or “main character-like,” while others claimed his presence felt forced or artificial.

Kpop idols lose their aura the minute they step in any country outside S.Korea https://t.co/rWNUOUoXYu

— .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ (@NotHerAgainDamn) February 9, 2026

https://t.co/GhbiczcXk1 pic.twitter.com/EVNBfON3jw

— rim ✦ (@bratzlibra) February 9, 2026

acting like he's the main character https://t.co/5Nmt4MUK6J pic.twitter.com/lFfzC2Ispp

— Suh (@suahnasty) February 9, 2026

Who is he and why does he have that delusion of protagonist? https://t.co/v9pxR7ouCw pic.twitter.com/F5XGwQrOxh

— 07light (@LiL22578677) February 9, 2026

There were also accusations that his agency, HYBE, was aggressively pushing idols into Western events regardless of relevance.

this man was in the Golden Globes Award even though he's not an actor and now at the Superbowl???? like literally HOW AND WHY???!!! hybe is exploiting everything in the industry https://t.co/nvnxZoKPul

— . (@LSMTRENDS) February 9, 2026

He’s walkin like he ain’t know nothing when the company paid thousands for him to be there https://t.co/AGW8CwxWUL pic.twitter.com/gaKf1CA2gt

— shane ⭐️ (@cortisateezz) February 9, 2026

Despite the criticism, Joshua’s appearance still highlights how closely scrutinized K-Pop idols are even when they step outside Korea.

SEVENTEEN