"Completely false and baseless"- NJZ PR team denies reports of partnership with Bana, announces legal action against TenAsia

On February 14, 2025, NJZ (formerly NewJeans)’s PR team released an official statement refuting claims that the group had joined Beasts And Natives Alike (BANA) for management. The team firmly denied the reports, calling them entirely false, and announced legal action against South Korean media outlet, TenAsia for spreading misinformation.

The statement was posted on a temporary Instagram account managed by the parents of NJZ members, directly addressing an article published by TenAsia. The report alleged that NJZ had begun working with BANA to oversee their activities following their departure from ADOR. It also suggested that while no formal contract had been signed, BANA was already handling NJZ’s press-related matters.

However, NJZ’s PR team made it clear that no discussions had taken place with BANA regarding any form of affiliation. They stated,

"Hello, We would like to inform you that the exclusive article by reporter Min-Kyung Lee of 'TenAsia,' titled "NJZ Joins Hands with Bana," is completely false and baseless. NJZ has never signed any affiliation contract with Bana or engaged in any discussions regarding such matters."

They continued,

"The article cites “multiple industry sources” as its basis, but this claim is entirely unfounded and false. It appears that the article was published without verifying the facts with the parties involved, including Bana, seemingly with the intent of stirring up further controversy."

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NJZ's recent controversy regarding Hanni's visa issue was also debunked by the PR team

The PR team also criticized TenAsia for citing unnamed “industry sources” while failing to verify facts with the parties involved. They argued that the report seemed intentionally designed to stir controversy, particularly by linking BANA to former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, as some producers associated with the company had previously worked with NewJeans.

They also expressed concern over the pattern of false reports leading to distress for the members and those around them. In response to the ongoing spread of misinformation, NJZ’s PR team announced their plans to file a complaint with the Press Arbitration Commission and pursue legal measures against TenAsia.

They also called on the journalist responsible for the article to take full accountability for publishing misleading claims. They stated,

"We will be filing a complaint with the Press Arbitration Commission and pursuing strong legal action against TenAsia for its continued dissemination of false information without proper fact-checking. As a result, our members and many others involved have suffered severe emotional distress."

Addressing Min Kyung-lee, the reported in TenAsia, they further wrote,

"We urge reporter Min Kyung-lee of TenAsia to take full legal responsibility for this article and the continued spread of false information. We apologize for any disturbance caused on this evening before the weekend. Wishing you a peaceful night."

Before addressing the TenAsia report, the group's PR team had already stepped in to refute another major controversy involving member Hanni’s visa status. Reports had surfaced claiming that Hanni was staying in South Korea illegally after leaving ADOR, with speculation that she had refused to sign visa extension documents prepared by the agency.

However, on February 12, 2025, the PR team clarified the situation, confirming that Hanni had legally obtained a new visa through standard administrative procedures. They accused ADOR of attempting to pressure her into signing documents that would have kept the agency as her official sponsor.

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Amid these controversies, the members are continuing their activities. Their upcoming performance at ComplexCon Hong Kong is expected to be a significant moment for the group, marking their first major appearance since rebranding from NewJeans.