NewJeans’ Danielle Sued by ADOR for $44 Million

Danielle (Danielle Marsh), a K-pop idol from Newcastle, Australia, is facing a lawsuit filed by her agency ADOR seeking damages amounting to $44 million (approximately 43.1 billion won). ADOR has submitted legal documents to the Seoul District Court against Danielle, one of her family members, and former CEO Minhee Jin.

Danielle was part of NewJeans, which made its debut in May 2022 with five members. Within just one year of their debut, NewJeans became the eighth-best-selling music group in the world, and in 2023, five of their songs reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The other members include Hani (Hani Pham) from Melbourne, along with Minji, Haerin, and Hyein.

ADOR claims that Danielle, her family member, and Minhee Jin “are primarily responsible for causing this dispute and delaying NewJeans’ departures and returns.” ADOR also stated it plans to pursue legal action against the family member and Minhee Jin.

The conflict dates back to the first half of 2024. In April 2024, HYBE accused Minhee Jin of taking control of ADOR and attempting to gain full ownership of NewJeans to make the group independent. Minhee Jin denied all allegations, and HYBE filed a police report. Legal battles ensued, with all five members of NewJeans supporting Minhee Jin and endorsing petitions against her removal as CEO. Minhee Jin was dismissed from her CEO position in August 2024.

In January 2025, NewJeans attempted to rebrand under the name NJZ, but a ruling by the Seoul Central District Court prevented this and halted the group’s independent activities. In October 2025, the same court ruled that all five members of NewJeans remain bound by their contracts with ADOR until they expire in 2029.

ADOR terminated Danielle’s contract following a 2024 November ruling stating that K-pop idols are not classified as employees under Korean labor law. In November 2025, ADOR announced that Haerin and Hyein plan to return to ADOR, while NewJeans said it intends to appeal. Meanwhile, fans have posted supportive messages for Danielle on social media, expressing that “NewJeans is either five members or nothing at all.”