By Lance Joseph Martinez
The members of NewJeans—Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein—announced on Thursday that they would not be returning to their previous label and company, HYBE and ADOR. Instead, they plan to rebrand under a temporary group name.
As reported by SOOMPI, the group revealed they had enlisted a law firm to handle a “rapidly progressing injunction” after ADOR filed a lawsuit against them.
They stated, “Since ADOR and HYBE have appointed Kim & Chang as their legal representative, we believed it was necessary to have a law firm capable of responding to them.”
Expressing frustration with the labels, the members claimed HYBE and ADOR had disguised their actions as a “long-term break” to “suspend our entertainment careers indefinitely.”
In November 2024, NewJeans revealed they were leaving their label ADOR due to what they referred to as “mistreatment.” During a press conference, member Hanni stated that the group had experienced mistreatment, not only directed at them but also involving their staff, although specific details were not provided.
They further explained, “While ADOR and HYBE publicly claim they want us to return, behind the scenes, they have continued to harass and attack us relentlessly, just as they did before. Recently, they even secretly met with some of our parents in an attempt to persuade or sow discord among us.”
The members emphasized their desire for transparency, urging, “Instead of resorting to underhanded tactics to defame, divide, and manipulate through false information and media play, we hope they will address the matter truthfully and fairly.”
Reaffirming their stance, they made it clear that they will not be returning to HYBE.
“We will state this firmly. The five of us have no intention of ever returning to HYBE or ADOR, where even the minimum level of trust cannot be expected,” they reiterated.
While acknowledging the concerns of their fans, they promised to fight for their independence, adding, “We will fight until the end through legitimate means so that we can share our music with you freely again as soon as possible.”
Following the announcement, they asked fans to suggest a temporary group name through their new Instagram account.
In response, ADOR issued a statement to NME, asserting, “ADOR maintains that the exclusive management contract is still valid and is faithfully cooperating with the legal procedures to address this matter.”
NewJeans, who made their debut in 2022, quickly rose to become one of HYBE’s most successful groups.
They have achieved significant success on global charts, including topping the Billboard 200, and are known for their popular tracks such as “Attention,” “Super Shy,” and “Ditto.”
