Is Blackpink’s Lisa the next global triple-threat? K-pop singer honoured by King Charles is cementing her superstar status with an acting debut in White Lotus – and is rumoured to be dating a billionaire LVMH heir

Lisa of K-pop group Blackpink is the latest star to join the cast of HBO’s hot comedy-drama series The White Lotus.

The 26-year-old performer – originally from Thailand – will be making her acting debut in the show’s highly anticipated third series, Variety has revealed.

Her on-screen breakthrough comes following a busy year for the singer and dancer, who just last week announced the opening of her own label – called LLOUD.

In an Instagram post – which featured a sleek black and white photoshoot that showcased the entertainer in a glamorous suit and tie – Lisa, introduced her ‘platform to showcase my vision in music and entertainment’.

‘Join me on this exciting journey to push through new boundaries together,’ she added.

The move – followed by fellow bandmate Jennie Kim’s launch of her agency ODD ATELIER – along with Lisa’s White Lotus role, appears to be the latest in a move to establish herself as a solo performer in the wake of the group’s split from huge South Korean agency Young Entertainment (YG) as individual artists. 

While they remain under their long-time label as Blackpink, Lisa, Jennie, Rose and Jisoo now have the opportunity to establish more of their own endeavours, Rolling Stone says.

And it’s not the first time one of the girls has taken up an acting gig. Jennie made her showbiz debut in HBO’s controversial The Idol as villain Dyanne – whereas Jisoo is known for a number of K-drama appearances and film work.

Lisa will be filming The White Lotus in her native Thailand, and will be credited under her given name Lalisa Manobal, but not much is known about her role yet. The series is expected to air sometime in 2025.

The K-pop star – who is revered for her dancing skills – most recently sparked controversy after taking part in a Crazy Horse cabaret performance.

She hit the stage for a string of super exclusive five shows at the Parisian venue during Paris Fashion Week in October.

The limited space could only accommodate a small number of fans, leaving the rest to have to peep the event via photos shared online.

Among those able to snag seats were Lisa’s Blackpink group mates and stars including Rosalía, Kaia Gerber, and Austin Butler.

Crazy Horse is known for nudity and a no-filming policy, although TMZ  reported that Lisa did not strip down to nothing.

The raunchy performance sparked fears that Lisa was being blacklisted in China – after she had her account suspended on the country’s biggest social media site Weibo.

While there was no nudity, the provocative nature of the revue combined with Crazy Horse’s racy reputation sparked outrage across Asia, where Lisa is a top star. 

Weibo hadn’t given an official reason for suspending Lisa’s account outside of a message stating, ‘This account can no longer be viewed due to reports of violations of laws, regulations, and Weibo community agreement’.

On top of that, the official Weibo accounts for luxury brands Celine and Bvlgari, which Lisa is a celebrity ambassador for, removed all of the star’s images from their accounts. 

However just a month later, the idol – alongside her Blackpink bandmates – was invited for a prestigious state banquet in Buckingham Palace and received an honourary MBE from King Charles III.

The monarch, 75, appeared to be in high spirits as he held an Investiture, in the presence of The President of the Republic of Korea and the First Lady, during their official State Visit to the United Kingdom.

He invested the Blackpink members in recognition of the band’s role as COP26 Advocates for the summit in Glasgow 2021. 

Blackpink were first appointed by the UK Government as COP26 Advocates in January 2021. Non-UK citizens can be considered for an honour for their work within the UK. 

The group released a series of videos aimed at encouraging young people to learn more about climate change, which resulted – the government says – in ‘significantly increased engagement’ with the Summit from a young audience.

Lisa later said she will ‘forever cherish’ the moment in a gushing Instagram post.

She had shared an excited photo of herself holding up the award, seemingly moments after the investiture ceremony, and posed for a smiling selfie in a chic strapless grey dress, adorned with a cape, from clothing brand Asava.

The star teamed her look with white leather pumps from Stuart Weitzman and a BVLGARI watch, styling her raven tresses into a sophisticated half-up half-down look.

Other glamorous snaps in the carousel showed the star glamorously posing in what looked like a luxurious waiting room and a private car.

‘So deeply honored to be a part of this great moment,’ Lisa wrote in a post to more than 101 million followers on Instagram.

‘I would have never imagined standing here receiving an Honorary MBE so thank you and will forever cherish this moment.’

Over the summer, Lisa and Blackpink made history at BST Hyde Park by becoming the first Korean band to headline a major UK music festival.

The girl group closed out the second weekend of the annual event in London to a sold-out crowd of 65,000 fans.

Opening to screams and pink fireworks shooting up from the stage, the girls launched into the Pink Venom before performing 16 more songs and having three outfit changes. 

Introducing themselves to their young crowd, they performed a mix of K-Pop favourites including Kick It, Pretty Savage, How You Like That, and Shut Down. 

Even their first ever single, Whistle – the one that made them famous – was among the setlist. 

The roaring audience included Hugh Grant who revealed himself as a new fan of Blackpink after taking his daughter. 

Taking to X, the A-lister in July wrote: ‘Very grateful to three eleven year olds for taking me to see @BLACKPINK yesterday. Am rabid Blink now. Slept with my heart hammer.’

‘Blink’ is the name given to fans of the K Pop group and the hammer is Blackpink’s official concert glow stick, known as Hammer Bong.

As well as their combined group success, Lisa has also found immense musical success in her own right.

After she came out with solo hit Money in 2021, it became the first album and song by a K-pop solo artist to reach one billion streams on Spotify, respectively.

And in October, Pinkvilla reported that she became the first ever K-pop soloist to get two 14 million-like music videos on YouTube.

Last year she was also inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame for her work as a ‘Cultural Icon’. 

Over the Christmas period, she released a cover of Britney Spears’ My Only Wish – with the YouTube video racking up more than 10 million views in just a couple of months. 

Aside from Lisa’s professional successes, she has also recently been romantically linked to LVMH heir Frederic Arnault.

The pair sparked a flurry of dating rumours after they were spotted giggling together at an event in Venice this summer – prompting a furious investigation by amateur internet detectives who have aired even more evidence of a budding romance between the pair. 

Speculation about a relationship between the pair began when photos emerged of the alleged couple enjoying a laugh at the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewelry event in Venice back in May, a moment that quickly sent fans on the hunt for more evidence of a blossoming romance.

This unearthed another photo of the pair sitting together at an airport lounge in Los Angeles as well as sightings in Paris and at multiple fashion events – while others began analyzing Lisa’s Instagram, insisting that her posts revealed a slew of clues hinting at a romance between the 26-year-old pop princess and the billionaire luxury fashion heir. 

Frederic, 28, is the son of the richest man in the world, Bernard Arnault. The patriarch is the chairman and CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, and he and his family are worth about $212 billion, according to Forbes.

It is not clear when the pair first met, but Lisa has previously worked alongside brands that are part of the LVMH group.

She was Celine’s global ambassador for three years and collaborated with Bulgari on a limited-edition watch in 2023.

In November 2022, Frederic attended one of Blackpink’s concerts at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles before posting a snap alongside the band members.

He and Lisa were then spotted giggling together at the Bulgari Mediterranean High Jewelry Event in Venice back in May as well as hanging out in Paris when the K-Pop star was on the group’s world tour.

Another photo also surfaced of the two at a private airport lounge in Los Angeles, California.

Neither Lisa nor Frederic have confirmed the status of their relationship.

DailyMail.com at the time had contacted representatives for TAG Heuer and Blackpink for comment.