The company behind the popular K-pop group NewJeans has filed a lawsuit against one of its members, marking a significant turn in a prolonged dispute. Australian singer Danielle Marsh, a member of NewJeans, is facing a lawsuit exceeding $44 million from a South Korean record company owned by the K-pop giant HYBE Entertainment, known for producing BTS.
Marsh, 20, was born in New South Wales to an Australian father and a South Korean mother. She gained international fame in 2022 with the debut of NewJeans, a five-member group whose members were aged between 14 and 18 at the time. The group was created and produced by ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE Entertainment, which recorded cumulative revenue of approximately $2.075 billion up to the third quarter of 2025.
In 2023, five NewJeans songs topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, solidifying the group’s rapid rise on the global stage. However, tensions arose when ADOR filed a lawsuit against NewJeans after the group accused the label of “mistreatment” and announced plans to leave the agency.
The Legal Battle Unfolds
In October, a South Korean court ruled that there were no grounds for contract termination, mandating that NewJeans continue under their contract with ADOR until 2029. Following this ruling, South Korean media reported that all five members were expected to return to the agency. However, an announcement from ADOR on Monday shocked K-pop fans worldwide.
ADOR stated that while it had been engaging with the remaining four members — including another Australian member, Hanni Pham — it had decided to terminate its contracts with Marsh. The company also announced its intention to “pursue legal accountability against one member of Danielle’s family” as well as ADOR’s former CEO, Min Hee-Jin, who the BBC described as the “mentor” of the group.
The agency claimed that Marsh’s family member and Min “bear significant responsibility for causing this dispute and for the delays in NewJeans’ departure and return”.
Industry Reactions and Implications
The lawsuit has sent shockwaves through South Korea’s music industry, drawing widespread attention from international fans. Some have expressed sympathy for NewJeans over allegations of bullying and harassment allegedly directed or condoned by the company. Fans of Pham — the Vietnamese-Australian member of the group — submitted a petition to the South Korean government calling for an investigation into the alleged workplace bullying she and the group faced.
In October 2024, Pham delivered a tearful testimony before South Korea’s parliament over the allegations.
“I know it’s not going to solve all the problems in the world, but if we just respect each other, at least there will be no problems with bullying and harassment in the workplace,” Reuters quoted Pham telling South Korean leaders.
One month later, South Korea’s employment ministry dismissed NewJeans’ workplace bullying complaint, stating that under the country’s Labour Standards Act, Pham was not legally classified as an “employee” of ADOR. This decision prompted several leaders to propose new legislation — now dubbed “Hanni’s Act” — aimed at extending protections against workplace bullying and harassment to artists.
Looking Forward: Industry and Legal Ramifications
Pham also faced the possibility of deportation after her long-term employer-sponsored work visa was set to expire in early 2025 amid the ongoing legal dispute. Her parents confirmed in February that she had secured a new visa. Meanwhile, the legal battle between NewJeans and ADOR continues to unfold, with significant implications for the K-pop industry.
In February, The Chosun Daily reported that five of South Korea’s major industrial bodies issued a joint statement criticizing NewJeans for “resolving private disputes through media campaigns and unilateral public statements rather than proper negotiations or legal procedures”. While the organizations did not oppose government regulation, they argued that contract disputes between agencies and artists should be addressed through industry self-regulation.
The situation highlights the broader challenges within the K-pop industry, known for its strict control over artists through long-term contracts with detailed and often rigid conditions. As the legal proceedings continue, the case of Danielle Marsh and NewJeans may set a precedent for how such disputes are managed in the future.
