Dumped Australian K-pop performer sued for millions by record label

In a deepening of the bitter feud between K-pop record label Ador and its chart-topping girl group NewJeans, the label has announced it is suing a former member of the band for about $44.8 million in damages a day after removing her from the group.

On Monday, Ador revealed it had terminated the contract of Danielle Marsh, an Australian-Korean member of the five-girl group. The decision followed a tumultuous year-long legal battle between the label and NewJeans in which the group attempted to break their contract, claiming workplace hostility and creative sabotage. However, the contract was declared valid by a South Korean court in October, with the band’s contract running until 2029.

The turmoil between NewJeans and its record label has deepened, with former member Danielle Marsh (second from left) sued by the agency.Credit: AP

The label is also suing a member of Marsh’s family, though they remain unnamed, as well as NewJeans’ former producer Min Hee-jin for damages and as part of a contract break penalty. According to Ador, both “bear significant responsibility” for the fallout between the label and the K-pop group, per the BBC.

The label did not share a reason for removing Danielle, a 20-year-old performer born in Newcastle, NSW, though it claimed NewJeans’ members had been “exposed to persistently distorted and biased information”, which led to “significant misunderstandings” about the label, according to the BBC.

NewJeans has become one of the most influential K-pop groups in the world since debuting in 2022. Credit: Getty Images

Three of the group’s members – Haerin, Hyein and Hanni – will remain in NewJeans, the label said, as “discussions” with the fourth member Minji reportedly continue.

Ador is a subsidiary of the Hybe Corporation, the behemoth entertainment company behind many massively popular K-pop groups, including superstars BTS.

In 2024, Ador’s former chief executive Min Hee-jin, often dubbed the “mother” of NewJeans, was dismissed. Meanwhile, Hanni Pham (Marsh’s fellow Australian member) spoke about alleged workplace harassment that she experienced at Hybe during the South Korean Labour Committee’s National Assembly in October. She claimed the group was ignored and badmouthed by Hybe employees.

A month later, all five members of NewJeans attempted to leave the label, temporarily rebranding as NJZ. But a court ruling stymied the bid, ruling that their contract with Ador was valid.

Danielle Marsh performing with NewJeans in 2024.Credit: Billboard via Getty Images

Despite the legal tumult, NewJeans has had an enormous impact on the K-pop industry. Since debuting in 2022, their slightly looser performances have set them apart from the more traditionally rigid or “perfect” performances of other K-pop groups. They even broke the Guinness world record for the fastest K-pop act to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify, surpassing groups such as BTS and Blackpink.

Following the removal of Marsh, NewJeans fans flocked to social media to declare: “NewJeans is five or nothing”. All eyes will now be on whether Minji remains with the group. Smaller bands don’t traditionally rate as well among K-pop fans who closely follow the chemistry and relationships between group members.

The legal stoush has shone a light on the K-pop industry more generally too, raising questions around the level of control exerted over performers, who are usually carefully moulded through agencies’ in-house incubation systems. Some experts within the field even believe the NewJeans debacle could eventually trigger legislative change, such as new kinds of contracts, additional clauses around breaking contracts, and robust mediation practices.

As one K-pop group’s future becomes ever more uncertain, another marks a significant return. BTS – one of the highest-selling musical acts in the world, also under the Hybe umbrella – announced it would release a new album in March. This marks the group’s first release in nearly four years after going on an extended hiatus to complete mandatory military service in South Korea. A world tour is also reportedly expected to be announced shortly.

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