NewJeans’ fandom, Bunnies, expressed dissatisfaction in a statement directed at HYBE following the termination of Danielle’s contract.
On the 29th, Bunnies issued a statement asserting, “Despite HYBE and ADOR expressing their intention for all NewJeans members to return together, only one member was notified of contract termination. This represents a unilateral attempt to disband NewJeans and is deceptive to the court, the members involved, and the fans.”
They further stated, “The court acknowledged the validity of the exclusive contract based on mutual trust; however, ADOR changed its stance upon the members’ announcement of their return, notifying one member of termination to purposefully divide the group.” The statement expressed anger toward Lee Do-kyung, CEO of ADOR, questioning if bringing NewJeans to court was an attempt to break the group apart.
Additionally, Bunnies noted, “The decision to disband the entire group, which has been profitable for the company with a high IP value, cannot be explained as typical corporate judgment.” They described the actions as “malicious tyranny” by HYBE and Bang Si-hyuk, who hold substantial decision-making power.
They emphasized, “Disbanding NewJeans against the fans’ intense opposition and the members’ wishes damages the group’s value, suppresses their artistic freedom, and clips their wings. NewJeans is a collective of memories and bonds created by the five members and the fans. Release NewJeans and grant the members their freedom.”
Earlier in the day, ADOR made an official announcement regarding the members’ return. Hani decided to rejoin ADOR, while Minji is still in discussions, and Danielle was notified of contract termination.
ADOR stated, “Hani visited Korea with her family and engaged in in-depth conversations with ADOR over an extended period. During this time, they reviewed past events and took a step back for an objective perspective. After sincere discussions, Hani respected the court’s ruling and decided to continue with ADOR. Minji is also conversing with ADOR, maintaining continuous discussions for mutual understanding.”
Regarding Danielle, ADOR reported that “as a NewJeans member and ADOR artist, it is difficult to continue together, so today we notified her of contract termination.” Furthermore, ADOR stated, “We plan to hold legally accountable a family member of Danielle and former director Min Hee-jin for causing this dispute, departure from the group, and delay in return.”
