Some fans may already know—or may not know—that following BTS's historic performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the overwhelming majority of au∂ιєnces and international media praised the group, Pietra Bertolazzi—a вяαzιℓian conservative influencer with more than one million followers across social media—made a series of hostile remarks about them.
Bertolazzi described the BTS members as "effeminate, vain men, full of faces and poses" and argued that it was alarming for them to be role models for today's youth. Her comments quickly sparked intense backlash from international netizens and eventually reached кσяєαn media. On the 25th, a кσяєαn television news program covered the controversy, describing Bertolazzi's remarks as degrading toward the group and racially discriminatory, further fueling public outrage.
Despite becoming the target of widespread criticism over the past few days, Bertolazzi appears to have learned little from the controversy. Most recently, the influencer once again stirred debate by making another controversial statement targeting BTS's fandom, ARMY. According to SB Oficial (@sboficial)—a вяαzιℓian pop culture and entertainment outlet with more than one million followers on X—"Pietra Bertolazzi says ARMYs are a criminal organization." Numerous вяαzιℓian and international media outlets later reported the same claim.
The remark immediately became a hot topic online and was widely believed to have come after the series of consequences Bertolazzi faced following her attacks on BTS. She not only received overwhelming criticism from online communities—especially ARMY—but her social media accounts were also mαѕѕ reported, while fans reportedly submitted complaints about her remarks to HYBE. As a result, Bertolazzi switched her Instagram account to private and announced that she would be taking a break from social media.
However, that was far from the most serious consequence! Bertolazzi's personal information was reportedly leaked and subsequently used in various actions against her. According to multiple reports, her name was used to register her as an election monitoring volunteer in several вяαzιℓian states and even as a member of вяαzιℓ's Workers' Party—the very political party she has frequently criticized publicly. In addition, her home address, email address, and phone number were allegedly added to the president's mailing list, numerous marketing and promotional databases, and were reportedly used to create accounts on platforms including OnlyFans, OLX, and the food delivery app iFood.
After facing a series of disruptions and seemingly growing increasingly frustrated by the retaliation from fans, many believe Bertolazzi lashed out by calling ARMY a "criminal organization." Yet rather than receiving sympathy, many people openly expressed satisfaction with what had happened to her, arguing that she was simply facing the consequences of her own offensive remarks—"you reap what you sow."
Biazita Gomes, a вяαzιℓian political analyst and human rights specialist, even publicly praised ARMY's response. Meanwhile, journalist Guga Noblat of ICL and Metrópoles jokingly declared that he had become a BTS fan after witnessing how ARMY defended the group against someone he described as "a woman famous for defending the darkest era of civilization, the Middle Ages."
Not only that, a major fan account on X also argued that labeling ARMY as a "criminal organization" was both laughable and unconvincing. The account highlighted just a small fraction of the countless charitable initiatives ARMY has carried out around the world over the years, directly challenging the negative image Bertolazzi attempted to paint of the fandom.
For example, ARMY made global headlines after raising more than US$1 million for the Black Lives Matter movement in less than 24 hours, matching BTS's own donation. ARMYs from 18 countries also raised RM 3,151.19 for Syria Care, helping provide more than 200 Ramadan meals for refugees and war survivors. In South кσяєα, ARMY raised US$3,840 for KKOOM, sponsoring university tuition for two young adults from children's homes as well as a full-year preschool scholarship for a child.
BTS, BIGHIT MUSIC, and ARMY have contributed to LOVE MYSELF, a UNICEF campaign to end νισℓєи¢є against children and youth. ARMY also raised US$2,370.79 for the Pazapa Center, helping provide emergency food supplies to families of children with disabilities in Haiti. In addition, ARMY has supported the Palestine Trauma Centre, funding free healthcare and mental health services for people in Gaza, particularly children affected by war. During FESTA 2026, One In An ARMY also launched the SwimTayka campaign, providing free swimming lessons and water safety education for children in вяαzιℓ, Peru, Jamaica, Mozambique, Uganda, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
For years, ARMY has been recognized as one of the world's most active fandoms in charitable and humanitarian work, inspired by BTS's own commitment to giving back to society. At the same time, the fandom has built a reputation for standing firmly against anyone they believe targets BTS with offensive, discriminatory, or prejudiced remarks. In the eyes of many fans, Pietra Bertolazzi has clearly ℓσѕт the battle she chose to start—and her case has become a cautionary tale for anyone considering launching similar attacks against the global superstar group.
