SEOUL, July 7 — Former NewJeans member Danielle has denied claims that she signed a management contract with another agency, her legal team said yesterday.
Law firm Yoon & Yang issued a statement after a recent lawsuit hearing, rejecting reports that the singer had entered into a deal with a Chinese company.
The clarification was posted on the X account of Team Bunnies, a NewJeans fan support group, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.
“Following Danielle’s hearing on Thursday, some media outlets published distorted reports suggesting that Danielle had signed a contract with another company or concealed such an arrangement, citing alleged Chinese agencies,” the firm said.
The statement added, “NewJeans members, including Danielle, have neither signed nor attempted to sign overlapping exclusive management contracts with any particular company.”
ADOR’s legal team alleged during the hearing that Danielle had signed with a Chinese agency, but her representatives said the claim “contains inaccuracies or distorts or exaggerates the facts.”
Yoon & Yang further accused ADOR of influencing how the case was portrayed in media reports. “We suspect that ADOR may have been involved in the way the facts of this case were distorted and disseminated, particularly in reports portraying an issue concerning all of the NewJeans members as though it were the result of Danielle acting alone,” the firm said.
The law firm said it will ask the court to take appropriate measures and expects the ruling to be based on factual evidence.
ADOR has filed a 33.1 billion won (RM88.4 million) damages lawsuit against Danielle, a member of her family and former ADOR CEO Min Hee‑jin.
The agency seeks to hold them responsible for NewJeans’ departure and delays in the group’s return. The claim was reduced from 43.1 billion won after ADOR lowered its demand in June.
NewJeans debuted in 2022 under ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE, and quickly rose to global prominence with hits such as Ditto, OMG, Super Shy, Hype Boy and Attention, all of which have surpassed hundreds of millions of streams globally.
The group became one of K‑pop’s fastest‑rising acts, but internal disputes between ADOR and HYBE escalated in 2024 after the dismissal of ADOR’s CEO Min Hee‑jin.
The fallout led to lawsuits and attempts by members to leave the label. Danielle’s departure, along with ongoing legal battles, has been a focal point in the wider dispute over management rights and the future of the group.
