From Courage to Uncertainty: NewJeans Reveal Inner Turmoil Over Legal Battle
In a rare and emotional double interview with BBC News Korea, the members of NewJeans candidly shared their feelings on the ongoing legal conflict with their label ADOR, revealing their struggles, fears, and determination in the face of uncertainty.
On March 26, BBC News Korea released a video titled “NewJeans, Why They Stopped NJZ Activities”, featuring heartfelt reflections from members Hanni, Minji, Danielle, and Hyein.
About the Inner Turmoil Over Legal Battle
Hanni opened the conversation by addressing the discomfort of revisiting the issue, saying, “Over the past year, every decision we made was all decided through a very large amount of discussions between us. Honestly, we’re not that comfortable about constantly bringing up the situation cause we know that it involves another team, and we don’t want to affect that team in any way.”
Still, she explained why the group felt the need to go public, “If we don’t say or express publicly, people won’t know. People will just believe what’s going on in the media.”
Minji echoed this sentiment and acknowledged that coming forward had been daunting, explaining that every time they needed to speak up, their story would be picked up by many outlets. She admitted it was frightening and something that made her deeply worry about her own future.
Hanni also dismissed claims that adults are manipulating the group behind the scenes, “Because we’re young. That’s an easy way to devalue the fact that we’re actually trying to do something about the issue. It’s just easy to think that, ‘They’re young, they’re not doing it by themselves.’ But that doesn’t mean we’re taking this situation less seriously or less concerned about the scenario at all. We’ve always told each other, ‘If even one of us doesn’t want to do it, we’re not going to do it.’ Every choice required all five of us to say yes.”
Danielle spoke with raw honesty about the toll the situation took on her emotionally “I tried to quiet about it and suppress my emotions, just ignore what was happening around me because when it all started, we were preparing for a comeback. But at some point, I felt like I want to explode inside and heartbreaking in a way.”
About the Court Ruling
In a follow-up segment, the members addressed the March 21 court ruling, which favored ADOR’s injunction to halt NewJeans’ independent activities under the NJZ name. The ruling effectively put a pause on their separate promotions.
Danielle shared that the outcome had taken them by surprise, recalling how everyone was shocked by the news. She expressed her desire to continue doing what she loves without interference, lies, or misunderstandings.
Hyein also voiced her frustration, stating that they had suppressed their feelings for a long time before finally speaking out about the injustice they had faced. She acknowledged that the current situation wasn’t unfolding in their favor but emphasized that this fact alone reflected the weight of their courage in coming forward.
Courage to Keep Pushing Forward
Perhaps the most emotional confession came from Hanni, who acknowledged the anxiety about the group’s uncertain future. “‘Not being able to do this work’, I think, the obvious biggest fear for us. That’s why we’re keeping on pushing forward. But it’s something in the back of my mind that says anything is possible. We did not know that we’re gonna go through this 2 years ago or when we were trainees. We don’t know what the future holds and maybe might be a case that we’re not able to work. That’s something that we want to avoid because I want to say ‘fear’ but we don’t want to fall down that road.”
As their legal battle unfolds, the members’ vulnerability and unity have struck a chord with fans worldwide, amplifying calls for clarity, fairness, and support for NewJeans in navigating one of the most turbulent moments of their young careers.
