On January 22, the members of NewJeans—Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein—shared a detailed update regarding their legal battle with ADOR through a heartfelt letter posted on their new Instagram account, jeanzforfree.
In the letter, the group revealed that ADOR had filed a lawsuit seeking confirmation of the validity of their exclusive contracts and had also applied for an injunction to prevent the members from signing advertising contracts. NewJeans highlighted that HYBE and ADOR used “underhanded tactics” to divide the members.
The group disclosed that they had received the related legal documents and had appointed the law firm Shin & Kim (Sejong) to represent them, citing the need for a capable legal team to counter HYBE and ADOR’s chosen representation, Kim & Chang.
NewJeans members continued to express disappointment in how ADOR and HYBE had failed to protect and support them during their activities and detailed the obstacles they faced.
Below is the full letter from NewJeans:
“Hello,
This is Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein.
Through media reports, we have learned that ADOR has filed a ‘lawsuit for confirmation of the validity of our exclusive contract’ against us and has also applied for an ‘injunction to preserve the agency’s status and prohibit the signing of advertising contracts.’ A few days ago, we received the lawsuit and application, and we have appointed the law firm Shin & Kim (Sejong) as our representative.
Since ADOR and HYBE have appointed Kim & Chang as their representative, we felt it was necessary to choose a law firm capable of countering their legal expertise. Considering the urgency of responding to the swiftly proceeding injunction, we believe that Shin & Kim, which is already familiar with the misconduct and issues of HYBE and ADOR, is the most suitable choice.
HYBE and ADOR have failed to fulfill their obligations as agencies to protect and foster their artists. Throughout our activities, we faced numerous obstacles, both large and small. They essentially abandoned us, wrapping their intent to ‘suspend our careers’ in the guise of ‘a long-term break.’ Even after the lawful termination of our exclusive contract, baseless criticisms about us were spread through the media and YouTube “reckless” channels, sharing information that could only have come from ADOR or HYBE. This leads us to conclude that ADOR and HYBE are at the center of these issues.
While publicly claiming they want us to return, ADOR and HYBE have continued to harass and attack us behind the scenes. Recently, they even attempted to secretly meet with some of our parents to manipulate or divide us. Instead of resorting to cowardly tactics, spreading false information, or using the media to play unfair games, we hope they will address these matters transparently and fairly without lies.
We want to state firmly: The five of us have absolutely no intention of returning to HYBE or ADOR, where even the minimum level of trust cannot be expected.
Even after terminating our exclusive contract, we aimed to conclude the remaining schedules and agreements amicably to avoid causing harm to related parties. However, witnessing ADOR and HYBE causing harm to us and many others through unjust actions has led us to decide that we can no longer remain silent.
We intend to clearly reveal the wrongdoing of ADOR and HYBE through legal procedures and will fight boldly in court to bring the truth to light.
To our fans who have cherished and loved us, we are deeply sorry for causing you concern. However, we promise to stand up for what is right and fight to ensure we can once again share our music with you freely as soon as possible. We ask for your continued support and encouragement. Thank you.”
SEE ALSO: K-netizens react to ADOR staff using body cams to film vacated NewJeans dorms