KATSEYE Daniela's Father Rafael Avanzini says she's 'Better Trained' than BLACKPINK's LISA, doubles down with: "She's Also Latina, major advantage against Asian dancers"

 

KATSEYE Daniela's Father Rafael Avanzini says she's 'Better Trained' than BLACKPINK's LISA, doubles down with:

"She's Also Latina, major advantage against Asian dancers" pic.twitter.com/lPS6roegt5

— EMPIRE (@EmpireIX) February 23, 2026

The X post you're referring to (from @EmpireIX

) is a viral screenshot compilation claiming that Rafael Avanzini, the father of KATSEYE member Daniela, made controversial statements comparing his daughter favorably to BLACKPINK's Lisa.According to the post:He allegedly said Daniela is "better trained" than Lisa.

He doubled down by adding something along the lines of: "She's also Latina, major advantage against Asian dancers."

This sparked massive backlash, especially from Lisa (Lalisa Manobal) fans and the wider K-pop community, with many calling the remarks racist, dismissive of Asian talent/dancers, and unnecessarily pitting the two artists against each other. The tweet quickly gained over 8,000 likes, hundreds of reposts/quotes, and angry replies.Common reactions in the replies and quotes include:Accusations of anti-Asian sentiment / Asian hate.

Pointing out the irony that KATSEYE itself has four Asian members (Sophia, Lara, Megan, Yoonchae), so the comment feels especially tone-deaf.

Comments saying the father is ruining Daniela's career or making her look bad by association.

Memes, reaction videos, and clips dragging the father (some comparing him to other controversial parent figures in entertainment).

From what I can see in related discussions and recent searches, this appears to be a fresh February 2026 controversy tied to Rafael Avanzini (who has already been in the spotlight multiple times in recent weeks for other questionable comments, like ones perceived as shading groupmate Manon during her hiatus).No major outlet has independently verified the exact original source of the Lisa comment yet (it seems to stem from screenshots/DMs/now-deleted posts), but it's spreading rapidly in fan spaces. Daniela herself hasn't publicly addressed this specific claim as of now.If you'd like me to dig into any specific replies, check for updates, or clarify something else about it, just let me know!