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HYBE faced backlash after reportedly revealing that the manager of their new girl group, ILLIT, allegedly told the members to ignore NewJeans. This came to light after a surprise YouTube live by NewJeans on September 11, 2024. The YouTube channel that uploaded this livestream video has been deleted.
However, NewJeans' member Hanni shared in the video that she overheard a manager allegedly instructing another group to ignore her greeting.
She stated:
"At HYBE on the 4th floor there is a shared hair&makeup place. A lot of other artists and workers pass by there often, one day I was waiting in the hallway. Another team and their manager passed by and I greeted them. That manager told them to ignore me, I could hear everything in front of me, they said to ignore me."
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Although Hanni did not explicitly name ILLIT, as Koreaboo later reported, the label's internal review identified the ILLIT manager as the one involved. On September 13, a post titled "Wow HYBE ILLIT’s Manager Was Exposed" gained traction online.
According to Koreaboo, the label denied that any instructions to ignore NewJeans were given, after reviewing a 7-8 minutes long CCTV footage of the interaction. They stated that in the footage, it was clear how the members greeted each other and nobody ignored any group.
However, the statement implicated ILLIT, leading to further backlash as netizens criticized HYBE for dragging the newly debuted group into the conflict. A user on X, @hnnjfan wrote:
"NEWJEANS DID NOT NAME DROP ANY OTHER ARTISTS’ NAMES! Hybe stop using ur artist as a shield!"
"See how no one in hybe cares about any artist there? But yeah u do u ig keep defending the company while they're using ur favs for media play," a netizen commented.
"So those who are defending the label are fine on using their idols as shields for these issues??? Wake the f up!," another user wrote.
"not only did hybe say hanni was talking about illit, they said she's lying too...way to throw two groups under the bus," a person remarked.
Fans have since continued to criticize the company, accusing it of mishandling the situation and using its artists as scapegoats.
"Putting words in her mouth she never claimed illits manager was the one who bullied her. It was hybe who threw illit to the wolves," a netizen mentioned.
"This is the exact reason why HYBE name dropped the group because they know you idiots will turn this into a fandom war," an X user wrote.
More about the NewJeans live stream amid the ongoing HYBE vs ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin feud
The tension reportedly began when Min Hee-jin, the former CEO of ADOR, was ousted from her role due to a legal battle with the parent company over control and decision-making within the label.
The members of the NewJeans, who were known to have a close relationship with the former CEO, expressed discontent with the changes at ADOR and hinted at mistreatment under the label's new leadership.
In the live broadcast titled "What NewJeans Wants to Say" on their now-deleted YouTube channel, @nwjns, the members conveyed their concerns and frustrations about their current management situation. During the broadcast, Danielle emphasized the group's desire to restore ADOR to its original state, explaining that their request was not for anything beyond that.
She expressed the hope that everyone involved would fulfill their responsibilities effectively and that their appeal would be considered. The members also urged the label to decide by the end of the month, calling for the return of management to Min Hee-jin.
The feud between the two parties, particularly involving NewJeans, stems from a complex web of internal politics and leadership changes within the company. ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE, has been managing the five-member group since its debut.
The company's response, in which they reviewed CCTV footage to deny the claims of deliberate exclusion, did little to quell the controversy. However, there has not been any official statement from the company yet.
