ADOR, Danielle Clash Over Alleged Contract Violations at Second Damages Hearing

Former NewJeans member Danielle and ADOR clashed once again in court as the agency argued that her alleged independent activities following a court injunction justified the termination of her exclusive contract.

The second hearing in ADOR's damages lawsuit against Danielle, a member of her family and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin was held on Thursday at the Seoul Central District Court.

During the hearing, ADOR argued that Danielle had engaged in conduct that differed from the other NewJeans members and constituted serious violations of her exclusive contract. The agency pointed to conversations that occurred after a court ruling prohibiting the members from pursuing independent activities while their contract dispute remained unresolved.

According to ADOR, the messages included discussions of a potential collaboration between Danielle and the American R&B duo Emotional Oranges. The agency claimed the project had already progressed beyond the planning stage, alleging that the artists had discussed filming a music video in Korea and that approximately $175,000 had already been committed to production and artist-related costs.

ADOR further alleged that the conversations included discussions about backdating contract documents to a date before the court's injunction ruling and routing payments through a business account belonging to Danielle's older sister. The agency argued that the exchanges demonstrated a clear intention to continue activities despite the court order.

"These conversations clearly show no intention of complying with the injunction ruling," ADOR's legal team argued. The company said it later became aware of the discussions and concluded that it could no longer maintain trust with Danielle.

Danielle's legal team rejected that characterization, arguing the discussions reflected the belief at the time that the members had valid grounds to terminate their contracts with ADOR.

"From Danielle's perspective, she believed the contract had been lawfully terminated," her attorneys said. "The possibility of future activities was explored on that basis."

The two sides also remained divided over the impact of ADOR's lawsuit on Danielle's career. ADOR argued that the case concerns contractual penalties and damages rather than restrictions on her ability to work.

"Danielle is free to pursue entertainment activities," ADOR said. "This lawsuit concerns contractual violations and the resulting damages."

ADOR further pushed back against suggestions that the company was attempting to punish or pressure Danielle through prolonged litigation.

"Consider who started this situation in the first place," ADOR's legal team argued. "It is difficult to understand claims that the company is harassing Danielle when ADOR has spent the past two years responding to the consequences of this dispute."

Danielle's side countered that the scale of the claim effectively limits her opportunities within the industry.

"With damages of this magnitude hanging over her, what agency would realistically be willing to work with her?" the defense argued.

The hearing also revisited ADOR's claims against Min Hee-jin and Danielle's mother. ADOR alleged that Min encouraged the members and their families to sever ties with the agency and played a key role in the events that led to the dispute. The company further argued that Danielle's mother was heavily involved in communications surrounding the contract conflict.

Min's side pushed back, arguing that the larger issue is who bears responsibility for NewJeans' prolonged hiatus. Her legal team contended that ADOR had repeatedly stated during previous proceedings that it wished to maintain its relationship with the members and support their return, making the agency's subsequent decision to terminate only Danielle's contract difficult to reconcile.

The lawsuit stems from ADOR's decision to terminate Danielle's exclusive contract in December 2025. At the time, the company alleged that Danielle, a family member and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, bore significant responsibility for NewJeans' contract dispute and the delay in the members' return to the agency.

ADOR initially sought approximately $31 million in contractual penalties and damages but later reduced its claim to $24 million after changing its legal team. The company said the revised amount reflected a review and restructuring of the case. The dispute traces back to HYBE's 2024 conflict with Min Hee-jin, which ultimately led to her removal as ADOR CEO and sparked a series of legal battles.

Meanwhile, Hanni, Haerin and Hyein have already returned to ADOR, while Minji is reportedly continuing discussions with the agency regarding her return.