Recently, during their court session against ADOR on March 7th, NewJeans claimed that HYBE offered preferential treatment towards LE SSERAFIM, before alluding that the agency utilized NewJeans to secure an endorsement contract for the Source Music girl group.
In particular, NewJeans implied that LE SSERAFIM’s brand ambassador contract with luxury brand L.V was secured using Hyein – who was also selected as an ambassador prior. “When we contacted the brand, they replied that HYBE made the offer first, and even apologized, stating that they thought the offer was made with our approval”, NewJeans also added.
However, on the afternoon of the same day, LE SSERAFIM’s agency Source Music issued an official statement refuting the aforementioned claim.
Below is the full statement:
“Hello, this is Source Music.
AdvertisementWe would like to clarify our position on the untrue parts of the content raised today regarding our company and our artists.
LE SSERAFIM has never received any special treatment or unfair profits in the process of being selected as an ambassador for a specific brand. Our relationship with the brand began in April 2022, when member Sakura signed a contract with the brand. At the time, we were able to achieve mutually satisfactory results from the collaboration, and we discussed the possibility of expanding to a team-based ambassadorship through the brand’s Japanese office, which was how it came to fruition. This was done completely unrelated to any other artists. This can be sufficiently proven through objective evidence, and we would like to make it clear that we can clarify this at any time in the future according to legal necessity.
Additionally, the claims raised regarding the debut timing and process of NewJeans are also very far from objective facts. Our company continued to provide full support for the debut preparations of the NewJeans members, even up until the point they were transferred to ADOR. However, due to former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin spreading false information during a press conference last April, we have already filed a compensation claim against her in July, and the lawsuit is currently ongoing. We express our deep regret for the unilateral claims made without any effort to verify the facts, and we expect that these baseless assertions will be corrected through the legal process.
AdvertisementMentioning an artist’s name based on unverified and inaccurate information is an irresponsible and serious act that should never be done to any artist. Not only does it result in fellow artists being criticized, but it also misleads fans and the public, creating an environment where baseless claims, unrelated to the actual facts, can spread freely.
We take this situation very seriously and will take all necessary legal measures to correct it.
Thank you.”
