ADOR and former NewJeans member Danielle are currently locked in a heated dispute over whether there has been an intentional delay in their ongoing legal battle.
On May 14, the Seoul Central District Court (Civil Division 31, Presiding Judge Nam In-soo) held the first hearing for the damages lawsuit filed by ADOR against former NewJeans member Danielle and former CEO Min Hee-jin (currently CEO of OK Records).
Back in December, ADOR notified Danielle of her contract termination, claiming that she and her family were responsible for the current conflict. ADOR subsequently filed a massive damages lawsuit totaling 43.1 billion KRW against Danielle and Min Hee-jin, citing reasons such as breach of contract. During a preparatory hearing in March, Danielle’s side argued that ADOR was intentionally stalling the process by expanding the list of defendants and requesting extensions. ADOR, however, maintains that the issues are simply complex and require more review time.
During the hearing, the defendants’ side raised their voices, stating, “The plaintiff took the incomprehensible step of dismissing all existing legal representatives who were most familiar with the case. They failed to submit an evidence plan by the April 30 deadline and then appointed new representatives on May 8, right before the hearing, claiming the trial should start from scratch. They haven’t offered a single explanation for this behavior. This is a blatant and malicious attempt to delay the trial and ignore the procedures agreed upon by the court, which absolutely cannot be accepted.”
They continued, “Since the deadline for the evidence plan has passed, the plaintiff should be seen as having waived their right to provide evidence, and any future evidence should be dismissed according to civil procedure law. We believe there must be strong sanctions for the plaintiff’s conduct to ensure the trial isn’t delayed as they intend. Changing representatives while refusing to submit an evidence plan is essentially a malicious attempt to devastate the defendants’ lives.”
In response, the plaintiff’s side countered, “We ask the court to distinguish whether the defendants are asking for a prompt trial or an unusually fast one. ADOR also wants a swift confirmation of rights and agrees to a speedy trial. However, we believe it is problematic if this is done by limiting our ability to provide evidence. While we haven’t submitted the evidence plan yet due to realistic circumstances, we have absolutely no intention of delaying this case.”
They added, “The reason the defendants are demanding an unusual speed is related to Danielle Marsh’s entertainment activities. However, the grounds they provide are vague and don’t seem to be realistic constraints, but rather psychological ones. ADOR has never hindered Danielle Marsh’s entertainment activities. It would be contradictory for us to file a lawsuit to terminate a contract while simultaneously blocking other activities. We want Danielle Marsh to be free to pursue her entertainment activities. We simply suggest that claims of ‘hindering activities’—which we never did—be dropped. This lawsuit will not stop her from working or act as a hindrance. However, our right to provide evidence must not be limited.”
Meanwhile, the five members of NewJeans held an emergency press conference in November 2024, notifying ADOR of their contract termination, stating that trust had been completely broken. ADOR immediately filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the contracts, and in October last year, the first instance court ruled in favor of ADOR, deciding the contracts were still valid. Haerin, Hyein, and Hanni have since returned to ADOR, and Minji is reportedly in positive discussions regarding her return.
