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My social media friends and family, I want to share a pop culture story with you that is deeply personal to me about my daughter, Jewel, and the rise of the sensational K-Pop grout BTS. As BTS prepares for their comeback performance tomorrow from their military service, some stories deserve to be told the right way. (If itโs available to you, I encourage you to watch the live stream performance Saturday morning at 1 AM EST.)
Years ago, my daughter, Jewel, met a group of young men from South Korea who were in Los Angeles working, learning, and pursuing something they believed in. The world didnโt know them yet. They werenโt global icons. They were just young artists trying to find their way.
That group was BTS.
Jewelโs meeting them happened in a way that still feels serendipitousโand very much like her. While out to dinner in Los Angeles, exuding that natural warmth and vivaciousness she carried everywhere, she was approached by a band member and asked if she would be part of their reality TV show. She said yes, the way she always did to new experiences and new people. That moment led to her participation in their reality series "American Hustle Life," and from there, she was also invited to be part of their โBoy in Luvโ LA music video. What began as a simple, genuine interactionโjust Jewel being Jewelโquietly became something much bigger.
When Jewel first arrived on set she saw something in them immediately. Not just talentโshe saw who they were. Their kindness. Their humility. Their work ethic. Their respect for others. She told them they were going to go far. And she came home and told me the same thingโฆ โDad, theyโre going to be stars.โ
She didnโt say it casually. She meant it.ย And she was right.
Today, the world knows BTS for what they have accomplishedโhistoric musical firsts in the United States, breaking barriers, filling stadiums, speaking at the United Nations, addressing anti-Asian hate crimes at the White House, and bringing people together across cultures and languages. But what makes me proud isnโt just their success. Itโs that Jewel recognized their character before the world recognized their fame.
After Jewel passed, something profound happened that I will never forget.
The group reached out to me and then their fanbaseโARMYโshowed up.
Not in a small way. Not for a moment. But in a global, unified, compassionate movement. They helped tell Jewelโs story. They helped raise awareness about the defective Takata airbag that took her life. Together, we reached people across every continent. millions of engagements. Conversations that mattered. Lives saved.
They didnโt have to do that. But they did.ย And that told me everything about who they are. Thank you.
To the members of BTSโcongratulations on completing your military service. That commitment to your country and your fellow citizens speaks volumes about your character. It reflects the same values Jewel saw in you from the very beginning.
I am proud of everything you have accomplished.ย I am proud that your paths crossed with my daughter.ย And I am grateful that she had the chance to know youโnot as the world sees you now, but as the young men you were, and still are at your core.
Her belief in you came true.ย And I know that she is smiling down on you from heaven.ย
โAlexander
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