A new report about Min Hee Jin is reshaping how fans see the split between NewJeans, ADOR and HYBE. Citing documents shown at the latest court hearing, Dispatch claims Min quietly guided the group’s independent activities and even parts of their legal strategy.
The timing matters. ADOR is currently suing former member Danielle, her mother and Min for about 33.1 billion won in damages, after cutting Danielle from NewJeans in December 2025. As comeback rumors for the remaining four members grow, the new leaks raise a sharp question: how much of the controversial NJZ “independent” era really came from Min behind the scenes.
Inside the Dispatch Report on Min Hee Jin and NewJeans
According to the report, based on materials from the third damages hearing on July 2 at Seoul Central District Court, Min was allegedly involved in planning NewJeans’ independent activities while her feud with HYBE and ADOR was exploding. Dispatch points to the group’s NJZ branding, profile shoots and a performance at ComplexCon Hong Kong in 2025 as examples.
The report also claims parents formed a private “union” that pooled money to pay for overseas trips, practice rooms and NJZ visuals, keeping costs away from ADOR’s books. Another key allegation is a secret relationship with AAO, a company backed by Chinese capital that had once proposed acquiring ADOR. Dispatch and other Korean outlets say Min introduced AAO and supported an exclusive contract while the members were still bound to ADOR, something the label frames as a double contract.
On top of that, Min is accused of helping shape a legal strategy that included a YouTube livestream in 2024 and arguments involving HYBE girl group ILLIT. Min has denied pushing NewJeans to breach their contracts, saying the decision to leave ADOR came from the members as adults. The Dispatch claims have not been independently verified, and Min and NewJeans have not publicly addressed this specific report yet.
How the Allegations Connect to Danielle’s Lawsuit
All of this feeds directly into ADOR’s case against Danielle. After a 2025 ruling confirmed NewJeans’ contracts with ADOR are valid until 2029 and banned independent activities with a 1 billion won penalty per violation and per member, the label revised its damages claim to 33.1 billion won, split into:
- 19 billion won in contractual penalties
- 10 billion won in alleged lost group income
- 3.1 billion won from canceled ads and about 1 billion won for reputational damage
In court, ADOR argued that Danielle alone pushed ahead with a project with U.S. act Emotional Oranges worth about 175,000 dollars, saying much of the recording work was finished before the music video was halted. The agency also cited photoshoots, a magazine cover and a luxury watch endorsement done without prior consultation, plus Danielle’s delayed disclosure of the AAO contract even after other members moved to resolve the double contract issue.
Danielle’s side has pushed back hard, saying she was never paid for Emotional Oranges, that NJZ activities involved all five members, and accusing ADOR of “targeting Danielle alone.” Min, named alongside her, is accused by ADOR of having “significant responsibility for having caused this conflict and for the delays in NewJeans’ departure and return,” while she maintains she only tried to protect the members’ wishes.
What This Means for NewJeans’ Future Activities
After the 2025 ruling, Haerin and Hyein quickly agreed to continue with ADOR, with Hanni later deciding to stay “out of respect for the court’s decision.” Minji remains in discussions about her full return, while Danielle is out of NewJeans entirely and facing the massive damages claim.
Recent sightings of Haerin and Hyein in the United States with staff, and earlier reports of members visiting Copenhagen where a studio was booked under ADOR’s name, have fueled speculation that a four-member NewJeans comeback is being prepared. ADOR has not announced any official release schedule, so talk of a new era remains rumor for now.
In a separate case, a court ordered HYBE to pay Min roughly 25.5 billion won related to her ADOR stake, and legal analysts say she later offered to waive that money if all NewJeans-related lawsuits, including against Danielle, were dropped. That offer has reportedly gone unanswered. With the next hearing in the Danielle damages suit set for July 23, fans will be watching whether the sides keep escalating or finally move toward a settlement that could clear the path for NewJeans’ next chapter.