Rosé Opened Up About NeeDohs: Everything You Need to Know About the Stress Toy the Singer Swears By
When Blackpink’s Rosé revealed she can’t get through a meeting without squeezing a small, squishy ball called a NeeDoh, sales continued to spike and retailers started fielding nonstop calls from curious shoppers. The K-pop star’s candid admission about her anxiety — and the tactile toy she uses to manage it — has turned a niche fidget item into a viral must-have for adults looking for a discreet way to self-soothe.
Here’s what to know about the NeeDoh, why Rosé relies on it and what mental health experts say about the appeal of squishy stress toys.
What Is a NeeDoh and Why Is Rosé Using One?
NeeDohs are squishy toys that come in an array of sizes and colors, giving a whole new meaning to the classic stress ball. The Blackpink member has become one of the toy’s most visible fans, telling Jake Shane on a November 2024 episode of his “Therapuss” podcast that she now keeps a pink NeeDoh Gumdrop within reach at all times. Shane held an orange one during the conversation, while Rosé described the squishy as essential to getting through her workday.
“Any time I’m in a meeting or anything, it’s like it’s always on the table because now I can’t work without it,” she said. “I just get anxiety and like I don’t know if it’s ADHD. I don’t even know what it is, but like, I need this and then if I have it in my hand, I focus.”
How Rosé Says the Stress Ball Helps Her Anxiety
Rosé has been candid about how her anxiety manifests physically and how the NeeDoh helps redirect that tension. She told Shane that she tends to tense up and clench her muscles, sometimes squeezing her fingernails together — a habit the squishy toy helps her break.
She admitted the texture initially put her off. “I was like disgusted, but I ended up doing a serious meeting with somebody and I got through it like so well. … This just helps,” she said, adding that the first touch felt “disgusting” before she decided it’s “kind of a cool texture.”
The singer said using the toy has helped her recognize and name what she’s feeling in real time. “Once you say, ‘I have anxiety right now,’ things are a bit better, but then sometimes hours pass and then you look back and you’re like I was going through anxiety,” she explained. “So that’s when I think now it’s good that I have this to remind me I have anxiety.”
She’s even coined her own term for stepping away when she feels overwhelmed: “I’ll tell myself I just need like five minutes. I need a squishy break is what I say. You know how people go for smoke breaks? I need a squishy break.”
Rosé’s NeeDoh Moment on ‘Hot Ones’
Rosé’s stress ball also made an appearance during her November 2024 visit to Hot Ones. After taking a bite of a super spicy wing, she immediately reached for a blue Needoh Gumdrop to help her push through the heat.
“Do we have my stress ball? I’m gonna need my stress ball. This is called the squishy guys,” she said as someone handed it to her. “It actually helps. It distracts you. I think you need a distraction. This is helping me right now.”
She passed it to host Sean Evans, who immediately got hooked. “I need a stress ball I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life,” Evans remarked. After a few squeezes, Rosé added, “A few squishes and I’m actually over it now.”
Why Stress Balls and Stress Toys Like NeeDoh Are So Popular
The fascination with NeeDohs is part of a broader interest in tactile self-soothing tools, and mental health professionals say there’s a real reason these toys resonate. Jenny Maenpaa, a licensed clinical social worker and founder of the New York City Psychotherapy Collective, told NBC that the appeal comes down to how the toys engage the senses in a calming, accessible way.
“The popularity for these specific types of toys, I think, has to do with the way they tap into something satisfying that helps us feel calm,” Maenpaa said. “They give us a way to self-soothe that feels pleasant — and it is usually pretty affordable.”
Maenpaa added that the physical act of squeezing creates a sensory anchor. “Items like NeeDohs can pull us out of that, give us a way to feel grounded and bring our attention back to our bodies and the present moment,” she said. “The squeezing, stretching, or rolling sensations provide an anchor; something predictable and controllable for our brains to focus on.”
How Much Do NeeDohs Cost and Where to Find Them
NeeDohs are affordable, with prices generally ranging from $5 to $8 — part of why they’ve crossed over from kids’ toy aisles to adult desks and meeting tables. But that accessibility has also created a supply problem, with retailers struggling to keep up with demand.
“They sell out so fast. We have a dozen people either calling or walking into the store everyday asking for them,” Amanda Stewart, founder of Salt Lake City–based Mochi Kids, told The Strategist.
Learning Express owner Alexandra Garcia echoed that experience. “Our phones are ringing all day long with parents of little kids looking for NeeDohs,” she said.
Between Rosé’s endorsement and the broader adult demand for affordable mental health tools, the NeeDoh has become one of the more unlikely viral wellness items of the year — a small, squishy reminder that sometimes the simplest tools work best.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Rosé Opened Up About NeeDohs: Everything You Need to Know About the Stress Toy the Singer Swears By."
