ADOR has explained in court why it decided to terminate its exclusive contract with Danielle and file a damages lawsuit against her, while several other members of NewJeans have already returned to the agency.
On July 2, the 31st Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court held the third hearing related to the lawsuit involving Danielle, her mother, and former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin.
During the hearing, ADOR claimed Danielle was the only member who independently carried out music and commercial activities without the company’s approval. The agency argued that these actions violated her exclusive contract.
One of the main points raised by ADOR involved Danielle’s alleged collaboration with American band Emotional Oranges, AllKPop reported.
According to the agency, recording sessions and production costs connected to the project showed that Danielle had already started pursuing activities outside ADOR before officially resolving her contract situation.
ADOR also presented financial records related to NJZ, the temporary name adopted by the members after announcing the termination of their contracts.
The company argued that NJZ effectively operated as an entertainment business created to continue activities that violated the group’s exclusive agreements.
ADOR Blames Danielle and Min Hee Jin in Court
According to KPopHit, the agency further stated that Danielle, her family, and Min Hee Jin should be held responsible for the alleged contract violations, the group’s departure from ADOR, and delays involving the members’ return to the company.
Danielle’s legal representatives strongly denied those accusations during the hearing.
Her side argued that ADOR was simply reusing evidence that had already been submitted in earlier court proceedings in an effort to make Danielle appear like the only member responsible for the dispute.
Her legal team also pushed back against the claims surrounding Emotional Oranges. “As far as we know, there was no separate payment related to Emotional Oranges,” Danielle’s legal team stated.
They also pointed out that NJZ was a group activity involving all members, questioning why Danielle was being singled out in the lawsuit.
ADOR initially requested around 43.09 billion KRW, or about 31.7 million USD, in damages. However, the company later reduced the amount to approximately 33.09 billion KRW, or 24.4 million USD.