ADOR Releases Statement Supporting Hanni After Controversial "Ignore Her" Remark

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ADOR has reignited controversy by issuing an official statement regarding the alleged "ignore her" remark directed at NewJeans member Hanni by a manager from another label.

On May 27, ADOR expressed its full support for Hanni’s claims, describing the move as a “response to the demands outlined in the notice of contract breach.”

However, the abrupt shift in tone, contrasting with its previous lukewarm approach, has raised suspicions about the agency’s intentions.

In its statement, ADOR stated, “Belift Lab’s claims differ completely from Hanni’s testimony.

Hanni clearly recalls that on May 27, 2024, a member of Belift Lab made remarks such as ‘ignore her’ or ‘just walk past her.’”

ADOR further emphasized that “it is unreasonable and harsh to expect the victim to provide flawless recollection of an incident that occurred in a relatively brief moment.”

The agency urged Belift Lab to reconsider its stance.

This statement appears to be a follow-up to the notice of contract breach sent by NewJeans on May 13.

In the notice, the group criticized ADOR for its failure to protect its artists, citing specific instances such as the “ditch New (NewJeans) and restructure” remark from internal HYBE documents and the “ignore her” comment targeting Hanni.

They demanded that ADOR rectify major breaches of the exclusive contract within 14 days.

Despite the statement, ADOR limited its response to the issue involving Hanni, leaving out other critical concerns raised in the notice.

These include allegations related to HYBE’s music industry report, downplaying NewJeans’ achievements in PR materials, leaked trainee photos and videos, controversies over “album dumping,” and disputes with Shin Woo-seok, the director of Dolphin Kidnappers.

Industry insiders predict that this conflict is likely to result in an eventual split between NewJeans and ADOR.

With former CEO Min Hee-jin having resigned, NewJeans’ request for her reinstatement seems increasingly unlikely to be fulfilled.

Additionally, ADOR’s delayed response, only taking action after the notice of contract breach, has led to questions about the agency’s credibility.

Notably, Hanni expressed dissatisfaction shortly after ADOR’s statement was released.

She changed her status message on the fan communication platform Phoning to an emoji symbolizing “disbelief,” indirectly signaling her frustration. This reaction suggests that ADOR’s belated response might not be enough to resolve the situation effectively.

Various scenarios are being speculated for what comes next.

NewJeans could file an injunction to suspend the validity of their exclusive contract, potentially escalating the conflict into a legal battle over contractual violations.

Given NewJeans’ history of taking bold actions, such as raising concerns through emergency live broadcasts and being the first K-pop idols to appear at a national audit, the industry is closely watching their next move.

Meanwhile, an ADOR representative stated, “The content released on SNS today reflects our fulfillment of the demands outlined in the notice of contract breach, and our formal response will be submitted within the deadline.”

However, some analysts argue that ADOR’s actions might be aimed at gathering evidence in preparation for potential legal disputes, making it unlikely for the conflict to be resolved smoothly.