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(L-R) HYEIN, HANNI, MINJI, DANIELLE and HAERIN of NewJeans attend the 2024 Billboard Women In Music at YouTube Theater on March 06, 2024 in Inglewood, California.
Music News
NewJeans Member Danielle Dropped From Girl Group Amid ADOR Lawsuit Fallout
Hanni is officially confirmed to return to the label, while Minji is still in "ongoing conversations."
15h
ADOR has shared an update on the status of NewJeans‘ lineup amid the HYBE subsidiary’s ongoing legal issues with the girl group.
On Monday (Dec. 29), ADOR announced via a statement on X that Danielle — one of the K-pop quintet’s original members — will not be returning to NewJeans in light of the label’s court win earlier this year. “Having determined that it would be difficult for her to continue as a NewJeans member and ADOR artist, the company notified her today of the termination of her exclusive contract,” the Korean-language statement reads, according to the site’s English translation.
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“Additionally, the company intends to pursue legal accountability against one member of Danielle’s family and former [ADOR] CEO Min Hee-jin, who bear significant responsibility for causing this dispute and for the delays in NewJeans’ departure and return,” it continues.
The update comes more than a month after it was first announced that Haerin and Hyein had decided to continue working with ADOR following “thoughtful consideration with their respective families.” As for the other two members, ADOR added in its statement Monday that Hanni has now also agreed to continue with the group, while Minji is still in “ongoing conversations” about her future with the company.
“Hanni visited Korea with her family and held in-depth, extended conversations with ADOR,” the statement notes. “During this process, they reflected on past events and took time to objectively review the situation. At the conclusion of these sincere discussions, Hanni decided to stay with ADOR, respecting the court’s ruling.”
Billboard has reached out to ADOR for more information.
Tensions between ADOR and its star clients have been ongoing since 2024, when the members of NewJeans announced plans to sever ties with the company and release music independently. At the time, the five women alleged that ADOR had breached its contract with the group by firing former CEO Min, who’d been NewJeans’ mentor.
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However, after a lengthy court battle, a judge sided with ADOR’s stance that Min’s termination was not sufficient grounds for the K-pop stars to void their seven-year exclusive contract with the company. “We sincerely hope that today’s judgment, which comes after long-term verification of various claims and facts and reaffirms prior rulings, will serve as an opportunity for the artists to calmly reflect on this matter,” ADOR said in a statement about the win in October.
At the time, ADOR also promised fans that it had finished preparations for another NewJeans studio album to drop following the resolution of the legal dispute — but according to the label’s latest statement, the main objective now is to “fully resolve” any lingering “misunderstandings” between the band’s members and the public, which ADOR warns could “take some time.”
“Through these conversations, ADOR came to understand that the members had been exposed to persistently distorted and biased information over a long period, leading to significant misunderstandings about the company and ultimately escalating into this dispute,” the message reads. “[The members] have agreed to address the various controversies that arose during the dispute at a later opportunity, and discussions on the timing and method are currently underway.”
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NewJeans first debuted in 2022. The following year, the group found global fame with the success of the NewJeans 2nd EP ‘Get Up,’ which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
In 2025, amid the quintet’s spat with ADOR, it began independently releasing music and performing under the name “NJZ.” The members were swiftly ordered to stop doing so, however, after ADOR filed a preliminary injunction. This past June, they were each fined $734,000 for “unauthorized activities.”
See ADOR’s statement below.
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