At the ASEAN Prize 2024 event in Japan, Francine Diaz accidentally mispronounced the name of the K-pop group TOMORROW X TOGETHER, aka TXT. Instead of saying “Tomorrow by Together,” the Filipina actress said “Tomorrow times Together.” The mistake occurred when Francine announced the winner of the ASEAN GLOBAL KPOP LEADERS award. Despite the mix-up, the TXT members were visibly thrilled when they realized they had won.
When a clip of the moment went viral on the internet, Francine’s family, fans, and friends were worried that the actress would be harshly criticized for her mistake. But fans of TXT, affectionately known as MOAs (Moments of Alwaysness), reacted in a way no one saw coming.
@czeryy_cam she’s so cute with that “tomorrow times together” 😅😊 #francinediaz #francine #lia #itzy #txt #tomorrow_x_together #foryou
An honest mistake
Instead of getting upset, MOAs worldwide rallied around the actress. They found Francine adorable and recognized it was an honest mistake. Some even loved the way she pronounced “TOMORROW X TOGETHER” because she took the name literally. After all, the “x” symbol is most commonly used to denote multiplication in math. For instance, in equations or mathematical expressions, “x” often means “times,” as in “3 x 4,” which is read as “three times four.”
Francine took to Instagram after the event to address the incident. During a live broadcast, she issued a heartfelt apology for the slip-up. “I’m very sorry for that very big mistake. Please excuse me because I am not that updated anymore with what is happening in the K-pop world,” she explained, adding humorously, “You know I only stan two groups. But now, I know better because I’ve been educated: Tomorrow By Together.”
The actress also told fans what went down when she met up with TXT backstage. “In fairness, they were very kind when I went down the stairs with them; they let me walk first. They even offered me a seat. They are very kind,” Francine recounted.
@news5everywhere Nag-sorry na ang Pinay aktres na si #FrancineDiaz dahil sa mali niyang pagkakabasa sa K-pop group na TomorrowXTogether. #News5 #FrontlineTonight #EntertainmentNewsPH
MOAs lifted Francine up
She ended her broadcast by thanking TXT’s fans for their understanding and light-hearted take on the situation, which could have easily turned into a nightmare. “But thank you because you took it in a positive way. Thank you for not making it a big deal,” she said.
With their reaction to Francine’s gaffe, MOAs worldwide proved they have a lot in common with Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Hueningkai: They’re as kind and funny as the group they stan. Instead of bashing Francine, they lifted her up and showed that compassion trumps destructive criticism every time. – K-Pop News Writer
Featured Image: Francine thanked MOAs for not bashing her because of her mistake. Sources: Instagram/@francinesdiaz, X/@tubatuxtxt.