A K-pop star has blasted the cruel trainee system young idols are forced to endure – revealing that she was made to take photos of her food before she could eat.
Danielle June Marsh – of global supergroup NJZ (previously known as NewJeans) – has laid bare the struggles of growing up in the industry.
Bullying, abuse and exploitation are said to be commonplace, with youngsters subjected to gruelling training regimes and daily weigh-ins, as well as being pressured into plastic surgery and made to sign contracts that mean their every move is controlled.
The young star, who is now 19 but was only 15 when she joined the label Hybe – also behind internationally renowned BTS – over the weekend took to Instagram live, where she shared her reflections on the strict routines she and other bandmates had to follow.
‘You’re constantly being watched over when you’re in the practice room so you didn’t have much freedom at all,’ she explained in the clip, which has been shared on YouTube.
‘I also actually remember this is kind of weird, I remember having to take pictures of what I ate before I was actually able to consume it and I had to send the pictures to our manager and she would have to check it.’
Danielle added there lots of ‘little things’ which added to the pressures – and trainees often feel like they can’t push back.
‘The reason that we had to follow all these rules – this is how I felt… is otherwise we felt like we weren’t gonna be able to debut,’ she continued.
Danielle June Marsh – of global supergroup NJZ (previously known as NewJeans) – has laid bare the struggles of growing up in the industry
The young star, who is now 19 but was only 15 when she joined the label Hybe – also behind internationally renowned BTS – over the weekend took to Instagram live, where she shared her reflections on the strict routines she and other bandmates had to follow
‘We thought they were just going to cut us.’
Danielle admitted that she personally still feels the effects of her treatment.
‘Even now I think I haven’t gotten past that mindset in a way,’ she said. ‘It may not be for the other members, but it is for my case.’
She expressed her concern for future trainees who are now ‘starting at a younger age’.
‘I’m definitely not saying every trainee is in this situation,’ the singer stressed – but added that it’s ‘heartbreaking’ to worry that young up-and-coming artists are ‘non stop being ranked’.
‘They shouldn’t be treated like dolls,’ she added. ‘Why would they use this kind of system when in fact it deprives us of creativity.
NewJeans is comprised of Minji, 20, Hanni, 20, Danielle, 19, Haerin, 18, and Hyein, 16 (all pictured together)
‘It could be just because it’s been passed down through the industry… maybe the people in control at that stage wanted it to be easier to take control.
‘It felt like my identity was constantly being violated.’
FEMAIL has reached out to Hybe for comment.
Danielle also explained that their previous creative director – Min Hee-jin – was ‘extremely shocked’ when she heard what their trainees were going through and supported the girls in their artistic endeavours.
The group sent shockwaves over the K-pop industry last year when it became embroiled in a scandal between their old label Hybe, and the company’s sub-label, ADOR.
As reported by Vulture, tensions started growing in April of last year when Hybe began an audit of ADOR, after allegations that Min was ‘planning a hostile takeover for independent management rights of the label (and thus NewJeans)’.
ADOR denied this.
The claims followed internal concerns Min had expressed that another girl group – Illit – under Hybe’s Belift Lab sub-label was ‘copying’ NewJeans in aesthetics and creativity.
NewJeans pictured attending a hearing to review an injunction that the group’s agency, ADOR, has filed to prevent the group’s five members from independently signing advertising contracts in May
As reported by Vulture , tensions started growing in April of last year when Hybe began an audit of ADOR, after allegations that Min was ‘planning a hostile takeover for independent management rights of the label (and thus NewJeans)’. The group pictured in December 2023
Despite the murky legal debacle, in February the girls have rebranded as NJZ and appear set to continue making music together. Pictured in December 2023
As reported by Naver, Min said that ‘the cultural achievements of New Jeans are, ironically, being most seriously violated by Hybe’.
She continued: ‘Illit’s copying of New Jeans was not done by the label Belief Lab alone, but was involved by Hybe.
‘Hybe, a leading company in K-pop, is blinded by short-term profits and is copying successful cultural content without any hesitation. ADOR has never permitted or agreed to anyone copying the achievements of New Jeans.’
On April 25, Min made an emotional appearance at a press conference – after Hybe claimed there was ‘solid evidence’ she had attempted to ‘conspire’ against the label.
‘It’s not me that turned my back on Hybe, it’s Hybe that betrayed me. It used me to the fullest and now wants to take me down because I don’t listen to them. No one has done what I have done during the 30 years in K-pop.
‘But Hybe is trying to kill someone who’s done what I have as the head of a subsidiary,’ she had said at the event, as reported by Korea JoongAng Daily.
At the highly reported on press conference, a crying Min also touched on a number of bizarre claims – including that she had consulted a shaman about her work (‘Can I not have a shaman friend?’) and allegations that she ‘considered Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund in an alleged bid to seize control’.
‘We were just messing about when we mentioned the Saudi Arabia fund,’ she expressed.
On April 25, Min made an emotional appearance at a press conference – after Hybe claimed there was ‘solid evidence’ she had attempted to ‘conspire’ against the label
At the highly reported on press conference, a crying Min also touched on a number of bizarre claims – including that she had consulted a shaman about her work (‘Can I not have a shaman friend?’) and allegations that she ‘considered Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund in an alleged bid to seize control’
In August, despite pushback, she was replaced as CEO of ADOR.
One month later, after weeks of media back and forth with both sides denying allegations made by the other, the girls in NewJeans- Minji, 20, Hanni, 20, Danielle, 19, Haerin, 18, and Hyein, 16 – made a YouTube video voicing their support for Min.
‘Min Heejin is not only the person who produces our music but someone who makes NewJeans who we are,’ Danielle said in the clip.
‘She is integral to NewJeans’ identity and we all feel that she is irreplaceable’. The group also called for Min to be reinstated as ADOR’s CEO.
Despite this, Min resigned as CEO of ADOR in November and left Hybe.
One week later, all five members of NewJeans announced they will be terminating their contracts with ADOR, and appeared keen to work with Min again.
However, as reported by Vulture, ADOR believes their contracts with the girls are ‘still intact’ and has legally challenged the band over this (a lawsuit is understood to be set for this April) and filed an injunction to ‘prevent them from signing independent advertising contracts’.
According to the BBC, Hanni – one of the members – has claimed she suffered ‘workplace harassments’ while working under the label.
‘This is not the type of work ethic we respect and not one we want to be a part of, and to continue working under a company with no intention of protecting NewJeans would only do us harm,’ she expressed.
ADOR in turn said: ‘A unilateral claim that trust has been broken does not constitute valid grounds for termination of a contract…
‘We regret that the press conference on the termination of the contract took place without sufficient consideration, and even before we gave our response to the demand letter.’
Other reports have said that the girls may have to be pay an estimated ₩300 billion (about £170 million) to terminate the contract early.
Despite the murky legal debacle, in February the girls have rebranded as NJZ and appear set to continue making music together.