For fans of NewJeans, also known as “Bunnies,” the weekend has been an emotional rollercoaster. The K-pop girl group, recently rebranded as NJZ, delivered bittersweet news during their headlining performance at ComplexCon Hong Kong in the AsiaWorld Expo Arena on Sunday night (March 23). To the disappointment of their global fanbase, the group announced that this might be their “last performance for a little while.”
The announcement came amid ongoing legal disputes with their former management company, ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE. The group’s appearance at ComplexCon was their first public performance together since March 21, when a Seoul court issued a preliminary injunction granting ADOR exclusive rights over NewJeans’ activities. The injunction has effectively halted NJZ’s plans to pursue independent projects and sidelined their efforts to break free from ADOR’s management.
During their performance, the five members—Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein—took to the stage to address their fans directly. “This stage means so much to us and every single one of you who gives us strength just by being here,” began Hanni and Danielle, as reported by BBC.
“It is really hard for us to say this, but this might be our last performance for a little while. Out of respect for the court’s decision, we’ve decided to pause all our activities for now. It wasn’t an easy decision, but we believe this is something we need to do at this moment,” the member started.
Unviels new song ‘Pit Stop’
Despite the emotional announcement, the night wasn’t without its musical highlights. The group debuted a brand-new song titled “Pit Stop.” It is a high-energy track that seems to capture the mix of urgency and uncertainty surrounding their current situation, and it’s receiving mixed reactions from the netizens.
Court’s recent ruling aginst NewJeans and ADOR
The legal tensions between NewJeans and ADOR have been steaming for months, coming to a head with the court’s recent ruling. According to reports, the Seoul Central District Court sided with ADOR, granting the agency exclusive rights to manage the group’s activities and banning the members from conducting independent projects. This decision came just days before NJZ’s scheduled ComplexCon performance.
In response to the ruling, ADOR released an official statement: “With our status as NewJeans’ exclusive agency now legally affirmed, we are fully committed to supporting the artists going forward.” The agency also emphasised that any future activities by the group would be conducted under the name NewJeans and ADOR’s direct management.
The rift between NewJeans and ADOR
The dispute traces back to November 2024, when the members of NewJeans publicly accused ADOR of ‘mistreatment’ during a press conference. They announced their intention to part ways with the agency, rebrand as NJZ, and continue their musical journey independently. However, ADOR swiftly filed a lawsuit to enforce their exclusive management rights and sought an injunction to prevent the group from carrying out independent activities.
The court’s ruling has now made it significantly harder for NewJeans to pursue their independent comeback. Though the group had rebranded as NJZ and appeared poised for a fresh start, the legal setback has halted their plans.