“She is NOT obliged to visit every birthday cafe”– Fans defend NewJeans’ Hyein after she apologizes to disappointed fan cafés on her birthday

On April 21, 2025, NewJeans’ Hyein marked her 17th birthday with handwritten letters addressed to fans. She expressed gratitude for their support during her hiatus. Despite being caught in the middle of ongoing legal disputes between NewJeans (NJZ) and their agency ADOR, Hyein made a quiet but heartfelt gesture by thanking fans through a special post on the group’s shared Instagram account.

However, the celebration took an unfortunate turn after reports emerged of a fansite expressing disappointment over her not visiting their birthday café event. This was despite the idol later clarifying that she had fallen ill at the last minute. As the incident gained attention online, Hyein wrote an apology letter and explained that although she had planned to stop by more cafés, her sudden stomach pain prevented her from continuing.

She expressed sadness at not being able to fairly attend all events prepared by fans and acknowledged the effort behind each gesture. While many appreciated her transparency and effort, a vocal fansite, @forestofwho, reacted with frustration. They reportedly deleted their page and expressed emotional distress over her absence.

The situation triggered an outpouring of support for Hyein. Fans across platforms defended her as they pointed out that she should not be obligated to visit every single fan-organized café and especially not when unwell. An X user, @bratzdollhyein, wrote,

“crashing out and being mean to hyein for no reason at all like??? she is NOT obliged to visit every birthday cafe in the world, did not expected this from hyein’s biggest k-fansites, like u all do not fucking deserve her why does hyein always have to go thru this bullsh*t.”

Fans emphasized that she’s still a teenager enduring both legal pressure and public expectations. They stated that instead of demands, she should be met with kindness.

“i feel bad for her she’s just a child. their relationship to their fandom is unhealthy and crosses too many boundaries,” an X user wrote.

“The fans crossing limit. It was a fan event. Why expect idols to do anything?” a netizen mentioned.

“she couldn’t even enjoy her own birthday fully, and still thanked us with so much love. hy ein is truly one of a kind,” another person remarked.

“imagine getting angry to a 17yo on her birthday???? they don’t deserve her,” a user wrote.

Others criticized the toxic entitlement from certain fans and said that it overshadowed the sincerity of the letters and her attempt to make the day special for everyone.

“are you fxx*king insane @forestofwho @VIDINHYE???? hyein has no obligation to go to the cafe you organized and she herself had to apologize because her stomach hurt, why are you being so selfish? and why would you do this on her birthday???? please think carefully,” a fan remarked.

“this is very painful and disappointing, i don’t understand why you would do this. forest you’re literally one of the few biggest fanbases she has. why are you acting this way? please stop hurting her,” another user wrote.

“Well, there are always entitled fans like that in every fandom,” an X user added.

Hyein’s letters come amid ongoing hiatus and legal struggles

In her letters, Hyein thanked fans for celebrating with her. She wrote that every message gave her strength. She admitted she wanted to respond to each one individually but hoped no one would feel left out. She wrote,

“hello to all the Bunnies! Thank you so much for the birthday wishes! Honestly, every single letter gave me so much strength and comfort, so I really wanted to write back to each of you! But since I couldn’t, I’m really worried that some Bunnies who didn’t get a reply might feel hurt. I really hope you’re not too upset! We truly cherish every single Bunny who supports us equally!”

She continued,

“I actually wanted to go to the PX we had visited before, but just as I got right in front of it, my stomach started hurting so badly that I couldn’t go in.(I was seriously in so much pain, I’m not lying… )So… I felt really bad that I couldn’t go to every place fairly, and I just wanted to say I’m sorry! I know you all must’ve worked so hard to prepare everything..!”

The birthday came at a tense time for NewJeans, who rebranded as NJZ following an attempt to terminate their exclusive contract with ADOR in November 2024. Despite plans to work independently, the group faced a court ruling that halted their activities and prohibited them from signing new deals. Their appeal was dismissed, and that led to a prolonged hiatus and uncertainty around their future.

While the group’s activities remain suspended, the handwritten messages reminded fans of the powerful bond they share.

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Mantasha is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda who covers K-pop and K-drama. She has recently completed her Masters in English and has a rich 3-year writing experience where she crafted engaging content for top companies such as Unacademy, Apollo Hospitals, Adani Airports, and the Economic Times. Her experience has helped her create a strong foundation that complements her passion for creating the best content related to K-pop, K-dramas and Korean movies.

Mantasha’s interest in pop culture took root when her cousin introduced her to classic Hollywood and Bollywood tunes and the rest, as they say, is history. Mantasha’s connection with K-pop supergroup BTS is a special one as their song lyrics, hard work, and dedication resonate with her like no other group does.

Maintaining accuracy, relevance, and ethics in her reporting is extremely essential for Mantasha. She prioritizes thorough research, delving deep beyond just superficial sources, to ensure comprehensive and trustworthy information.

When not writing, Mantasha enjoys journaling and doodling, watching K-dramas and listening to songs.

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Edited by Sezal Srivastava