K-pop band breaks up after bitter feud with record label

Chart-topping K-pop group NewJeans is losing one of its members, marking a new turning point in the group’s year-long feud with the record label.

Ador announced on Monday that they had “terminated” their contract with 20-year-old Danielle Marsh, leaving the group with three members as Minji’s comeback remains uncertain.

According to local media reports on Tuesday, Ador is suing Danielle, her family member and former boss Min Hee-jin for $32 million in damages. None of them have spoken publicly yet. The BBC has reached out to Ador’s parent company, Hybe, for comment.

This news, coming less than two months after reports that NewJeans would be returning to the label as a five-piece group, dashes fans’ hopes for a comeback.

Many used the slogan on social media: “NewJeans five or nothing, while others questioned why Danielle was chosen.”

“Does this mean anything??? NewJeans without Danielle is not NewJeans. You think you can delete a member that easily? Give Danielle back to us,” one X wrote in the post.

“It’s not fair. Free NewJeans [all 5 members],” another wrote on Instagram. “All they want to do is [artists] and make their fans happy.”

NewJeans, who became the world’s eighth best-selling band a year after their 2022 debut, were seen by critics as a game-changer for their blend of 1990s R&B and sugar-coated pop melodies.

Then came a dramatic falling out with Ador in 2024; This was sparked by the controversial dismissal of the agency’s former CEO, Min Hee-jin, whom NewJeans considered a mentor.

This move shook the K-pop world and started a war between the very successful and very young stars, aged between 17 and 21, and the South Korean entertainment giant Hybe, which owns Ador.

NewJeans accused Ador of “mistreatment” and “intentional miscommunication and manipulation”, then announced they would be leaving the agency. Ador also filed a lawsuit in October this year, preventing them from leaving, winning the case. A district court ruled that NewJeans must honor their contract with the label, which runs through 2029.

A month later, local media reported that all five members would return to the agency.

Then surprisingly, Ador released a statement on Monday saying that Danielle’s and Min would be taking legal action against a family member who founded the brand and created NewJeans before their dramatic departure.

Ador claims that both “bear significant responsibility” in the dispute between the agency and the K-pop group.

Monday’s statement made no mention of a lawsuit against Danielle, only saying that Ador decided it was difficult to continue working with her and told her they were ending the contract.

Ador also claimed that NewJeans members are “consistently exposed to distorted and biased information,” leading to “significant misunderstandings” about the label.

The statement named two other NewJeans members: Hanni, who decided to stay with the company after “lengthy discussions” involving her family, and Minji, who is still in “ongoing discussions” with the agency.

It’s been a whirlwind for fans, especially since Ador announced to the agency in November that only two members (Hyein and Haerin) would be returning, sparking fears that the group would disband.

These fears were alleviated when Hanni, Danielle and Minji made a separate statement hours later, saying that they, too, would return, but apparently only for a short time.

Music critic Lim Hee-yun told the BBC, “NewJeans are a very important group that changed the world of female K-pop artists. It was a hope for music listeners and fans to see them come back as a full five-member team. This is no longer possible.” he said, adding that this result “will not make anyone happy.”

Mr Lim believes Ador will be pressured to recruit new members to the group, especially if Minji also leaves the company.

It’s difficult for three-member groups to achieve success in the K-pop industry, where fans pay close attention to the relationships and chemistry between members.

Danielle’s future as a musician is also uncertain.

“Not only will most of the public view him negatively [because of this controversy]but so are record companies… He may have to pursue solo acting as an actor, model or influencer,” Mr Lim said.

Additional reporting by Leehyun Choi and Hosu Lee in Seoul