The ongoing legal dispute between ADOR and Danielle has escalated once again as both parties battled in court over allegations of malicious legal tactics, retaliation and concerns related to the idol’s entertainment career.
On May 14, the Civil Settlements Division 31 of the Seoul Central District Court held the first hearing regarding ADOR’s ₩43 billion damages lawsuit filed against Danielle, one of her family members, and former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin, who now heads OOAK Records.
Neither Danielle nor Min Hee Jin personally attended the hearing, while only Danielle’s legal representatives appeared in court.
Tensions rose again during the proceedings due to allegations that the trial had been intentionally delayed. Danielle’s side argued that ADOR had repeatedly expanded the scope of defendants and added new lawsuits in an attempt to restart legal proceedings multiple times.
Her representatives also claimed that Danielle had been unfairly singled out as a NewJeans member due to both the dispute over the termination of her exclusive contract and the large damages claim.
According to Danielle’s legal team, the prolonged litigation appeared designed to prevent the singer from spending her early years as an idol actively promoting. They criticized ADOR’s actions as “overtly harmful” and accused the agency of using the lawsuit to pressure not only Danielle, but also to indirectly warn other members.
The legal team representing Min Hee Jin also objected to ADOR, arguing that the agency’s recent replacement of lawyers and procedural changes were being used to place additional pressure on defendants.
ADOR, however, has strongly denied all allegations of intentionally delaying the trial. The agency acknowledged that it had not yet fully submitted its test plans, but explained that delays had occurred due to adjustments made after the change of legal representatives.
Earlier this year, ADOR reportedly replaced the previous Kim & Chang legal team with four lawyers from the Leehan law firm. The company had also requested the court to postpone the preparatory hearing for around two months through an official statement, but the request was reportedly rejected by the court.
The conflict further escalated when Danielle’s side accused ADOR of attempting to interfere with its entertainment activities through protracted legal proceedings.
Her representatives argued that extending the lawsuit could actually force Danielle to spend the prime of her idol career trapped in legal battles rather than performing and promoting.
ADOR forcefully rejected that request in court, saying that concerns about interrupting Danielle’s career were simply “psychological concerns” rather than actual restrictions.
The agency stressed that it had never attempted to prevent Danielle from working in the entertainment industry and argued that it would be contradictory to request termination of the contract and at the same time insist that the company was preventing the activities.
ADOR further argued that Danielle’s promotions would not automatically be limited as long as the lawsuit remained ongoing and asserted that there was no substantial evidence to show that her career had been virtually compromised.
The company also stated that the current case differs legally and chronologically from previous shareholder agreement disputes, meaning that new claims and evidence will naturally be needed throughout the process. However, ADOR added that it intends to cooperate fully to ensure that the process takes place as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, ADOR notified Danielle last December that her exclusive contract had been terminated due to what the company described as a “serious breach of contract”. The agency has since filed a lawsuit for damages worth around ₩43 billion against Danielle, one of her family members, and former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin.
Sources: Daum
