NewJeans Dispute Intensifies as Danielle’s Contract Terminated and More Members Leave

The conflict surrounding NewJeans has entered a new phase. ADOR notified Danielle of the termination of her exclusive contract, casting doubt on the possibility of the group reuniting as a complete unit. On the 29th, ADOR released an official statement detailing each member’s situation. Hanni visited Korea with her family and, after discussing matters with ADOR, decided to return by respecting the court’s decision. Meanwhile, Minzy is currently in negotiations aimed at reaching a mutually agreeable settlement, with ongoing discussions focused on expanding mutual understanding. The most significant development is the termination of Danielle’s contract. ADOR stated, “Regarding Danielle, we determined it would be impossible for her to continue as a NewJeans member while also being an artist under ADOR, which led us to notify her of the contract termination.” ADOR also hinted at taking legal action against those responsible for the dispute. It said, “We intend to hold legally accountable one member of Danielle’s family and former CEO Min Hee-jin, who bear significant responsibility for causing this dispute and delaying the members’ return to NewJeans.” On the other hand, NewJeans’ fandom, Bunnies, issued an official statement on the 15th, strongly criticizing ADOR’s approach. Bunnies argued, “Although all members of NewJeans expressed their desire to return to ADOR following the court’s decision on November 12th, ADOR has delayed officially confirming the group’s reunion for over a month.” They demanded that ADOR fulfill its fundamental duties as an agency. The fandom also listed three requirements: “immediate fulfillment of the basic duty to protect artists,” “cessation of irresponsible inaction and futile public relations battles,” and “public disclosure of the results of any legal actions taken.” In their statement, Bunnies pointed out that “over 66,600 articles have been published in the past 1 year and 6 months, and while the artists have been subjected to relentless public scrutiny, the agency has effectively ignored this situation.” They claimed that ADOR’s lukewarm attitude has created a paradoxical situation where the agency is actually hindering the artists. ADOR stated that “the members have been exposed to distorted and biased information for a long time, leading to many misunderstandings about the company and ultimately resulting in this dispute,” emphasizing the need for a process to clear up these misunderstandings. At the same time, the agency promised to “do its best to resolve the situation smoothly and allow NewJeans to return to their fans as soon as possible.”