Danielle Removed From NewJeans — ADOR Terminates Contract and Plans Legal Action After K-Pop Battle

NewJeans fans are still processing the shocking news: Danielle is officially out of the group after ADOR terminated her exclusive contract on December 29 — an explosive end to a nearly two-year long battle that divided the group, their label and the K-pop industry at large. Here’s how everything unraveled behind the scenes and why Danielle became the only member removed.

Where It All Began

Everything changed for NewJeans — one of the most successful K-pop groups since BTS — when HYBE suddenly launched an audit into ADOR on April 22, 2024, accusing CEO Min Hee-jin of secretly trying to take control of the label and pull NewJeans away to go independent. According to HYBE, Min had attempted to secure full ownership of the group — a claim that sent shockwaves through the K-pop industry and immediately put NewJeans’ future under a microscope.

Min pushed back just as hard. She denied any takeover plot and fired back that HYBE was retaliating because she’d called out BELIFT LAB — another HYBE subsidiary — for allegedly allowing their new girl group ILLIT to copy signature NewJeans elements, from styling and visuals to choreography and overall concept.

That clash set the tone:
HYBE said Min was trying to steal NewJeans.
Min said HYBE was trying to silence her.

From there, the lawsuits began — and NewJeans ...