Is This The End Of K-Pop Girl Group NewJeans?
The conflict first began in April 2024, when ADOR’s parent company HYBE accused ADOR's then CEO, Min Hee-jin, of attempting to seize control of ADOR and officially removed her in August.
Is this the end of K-pop girl group NewJeans?
NewJeans debuted in 2022 and soon rose to fame with a fresh Y2K concept and several hit songs.
But on Dec. 30, 2025, their label, ADOR, said it had dropped one member, Danielle, and filed a US$30 million lawsuit against her after a year-long legal battle.
The conflict first began in April 2024, when ADOR’s parent company HYBE accused ADOR's then CEO, Min Hee-jin, of attempting to seize control of ADOR and officially removed her in August.
Following her removal, NewJeans held an emergency livestream, accusing HYBE of disrespecting them and failing to protect them, including leaking pre-debut materials and the downplaying of their achievements.
The group then gave HYBE 14 days to respond and take action, including reinstating Min.
On Nov. 28, 2024, NewJeans held an emergency press conference and announced their decision to leave ADOR, saying ADOR had failed to manage the group as per their contract.
In December, ADOR filed a lawsuit and requested a court order to stop NewJeans from leaving.
Meanwhile, NewJeans attempted to continue activities under a new name, NJZ, which led the court to grant ADOR the injunction in March 2025.
In Oct. 2025, a court ruled that ADOR did not violate its contract with NewJeans and that NewJeans was bound to remain with ADOR until 2029 per their contract.
All five members said they respect the ruling and would return to the agency in a separate statement.
A month later, ADOR confirmed that the two youngest members, Hyein and Haerin, had returned to the agency after what it said was "thoughtful consideration."
However, by the end of 2025, ADOR announced it had terminated member Danielle’s contract.
ADOR also sued Min and a family member of Danielle, seeking up to US$30 million in damages, saying both were responsible for the causing the dispute.
ADOR later confirmed Hanni would also return and said talks with the final member Minji were still ongoing.
The news has left fans divided, as the group’s future remains uncertain.
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