Highlights
- Ador terminates contract with 20-year-old Danielle Marsh while Minji's return remains uncertain.
- Record label sues Danielle, family member and ex-CEO Min Hee-jin for $32m damages.
- Global eighth-biggest selling act faces potential breakup following year-long feud with parent company Hybe.
Chart-topping K-pop group NewJeans is losing member Danielle Marsh after record label Ador announced it had terminated the 20-year-old's contract, marking another dramatic twist in the band's bitter year-long dispute.
Ador revealed on Monday it would end its agreement with Danielle, leaving the five-member group's future uncertain.
Local media reported on Tuesday that the label is suing Danielle, a family member and former boss Min Hee-jin for $32m in damages. None have commented publicly, and BBC has contacted parent company Hybe for response.
The news devastated fans hoping for the group's return following November reports suggesting all five members would rejoin the label. Social media erupted with the slogan "NewJeans is five or nothing," while others questioned why Danielle was singled out.
"Does this make any sense??? NewJeans without Danielle isn't NewJeans. Do you think you can just erase a member this easily? Give us back Danielle," one fan wrote on X.
Another Instagram user posted: "It's not fair at all. Free NewJeans (all 5 members). All they wanted to do was to be (artists) and make their fans happy."
Group future uncertain
NewJeans became the world's eighth biggest-selling act within a year of their July 2022 debut, praised by critics for blending 1990s R&B with sugar-coated pop melodies.
NewJeans became the world's eighth biggest-selling act within a year of their July 2022 debutGetty Images
However, 2024 brought dramatic fallout after Ador dismissed CEO Min Hee-jin, whom the group regarded as a mentor.
The band accused Ador of "mistreatment" and "deliberate miscommunications and manipulation" before announcing their departure.
Ador successfully blocked this through legal action, with an October district court ruling forcing NewJeans to honour their contract until 2029.
Ador's Monday statement claimed the members, aged 17 to 21, were "exposed to persistently distorted and biased information" causing "significant misunderstandings."
The label confirmed Hanni decided to remain after "extended conversations" including family, while "ongoing conversations" continue with Minji.
Music critic Lim Hee-yun told BBC "NewJeans is a very important group that changed the world of female K-pop acts. For the music listeners and fans, it has been the hope to see their return as a full five-member team. That's no longer possible."
Danielle's future remains uncertain amid the controversy. "Not only will there be a large part of the public that see her negatively (because of this controversy), but the record labels will too... She might need to pursue being a solo act as an actor, model, or an influencer," Lim added.
