NewJeans’ Danielle Finds Normalcy Through Marathons Despite First-Trial Loss to ADOR

NewJeans member Danielle continues to maintain a positive routine by participating in marathon races amid her legal dispute with her agency, ADOR. On the 30th of last month, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of ADOR in its lawsuit seeking to confirm the validity of their exclusive contract. The court concluded that the reasons cited by NewJeans’ members for terminating the contract—such as the dismissal of former ADOR CEO Minhee and alleged violations of member protection measures—were not sufficient to justify ending the agreement to the extent that it would make contract continuation impossible. Even after the first-instance judgment, Danielle has demonstrated resilience by actively engaging in running activities. Recently, former marathon runner Lee Yeon-jin shared a photo on her social media showing Danielle completing a 10K race, captioning it, “A happy 10K run with Danielle. She achieved her personal best time of 46 minutes.” The image depicted Danielle holding a finish medal with a bright smile. NewJeans announced the termination of their contract with ADOR in November last year due to the agency’s failure to fulfill its obligations, but the dispute escalated when ADOR filed lawsuits to confirm the contract’s validity and sought interim court orders. Following the failure of a second mediation attempt, a final judgment was issued, with ADOR winning the first-instance trial last month. It is reported that Danielle has long been part of a running group called “Unknown Crew” and has consistently participated in marathons. After losing the first trial, NewJeans’ members stated that it is impossible to return to normal activities under circumstances where trust with ADOR has completely broken down, and they have expressed intent to appeal. Meanwhile, ADOR said it intends to reaffirm the essence of exclusive contracts and the responsibilities of management agencies, as it prepares to release a new regular album.