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On March 27, 2025, clips of protest trucks reportedly organized by some NewJeans, aka NJZ's' fans, known as Bunnies, surfaced online. The trucks were stationed outside HYBE's headquarters in Yongsan District, Seoul, as reported by allkpop. They urged the group to reconsider their ongoing legal battle with their label, ADOR.
The trucks displaying messages emphasizing the risks involved in continuing the lawsuit appeared following the group announcing their hiatus on March 23, 2025. The messages on the protest trucks, as translated by an X user, @Snper22, included statements like:
"The adults around NewJeans should stop gaslighting."
"Bunnies respect NewJeans but we cannot let them go down this dangerous path."
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Some fans expressed concerns that the lengthy court proceedings would place the five members in a difficult position. This could potentially leave them solely responsible for financial repercussions. Protesters argued that seeking alternative solutions would be in the group's best interest.
However, some fans supported the girl group while reacting to the protest trucks being stationed. They believed that girls returning to ADOR would affect them not just career-wise but mentally, too. An X user, @rosiepham0113, wrote:
"Now what is this nonsense?? They only care about themselves as a fan because they won't be active for a long time but not about the girls mental health and how they'll be working with literally bullies and all hell the girls will be facing if they do comeback to that building ?"
This protest comes amid growing divisions within NewJeans' fandom. Some fans support the group's decision to challenge ADOR legally. They continue to stand by the members' fight for independence.
"Despite knowing all their struggles and pain, yet you still want them to that company? Yes everyone can have different opinions on things but if you truly care about the girls you should be respecting their decisions. This directly affects their life, not yours," a fan mentioned.
"Real Bunnies respect the girls’ decisions and genuinely care about their well being. We’d never push them to go back to a place where THEY DON’T FEEL SAFE OR COMFORTABLE. If you can’t respect their choices, just leave and don’t make a fuss,' an X user wrote.
"Stop talking nonsense. If you want to live cowardly, then please do it alone, don’t force the girls to follow your will. Advice is only for those who give it," another person added.
"Thiss is not part of us," a fan wrote.
Meanwhile, others believe it could lead to long-term harm to NewJeans. Those backing the protest trucks argued that the group should prioritize stability.
"We told what was going to happen. But the famdom call us haters. Most of us are adults, who are working and saw what was happen in the universe of the contracts and understand a lot of things. Special because some of us are not newbies in kpop world," an X user wrote.
"It don’t matter who put the truck there. If they want to be adults and make adult decisions they need to talk to their management company, ADOR. The court will most likely want mediation first anyway," a fan mentioned.
"Fans concerns are valid dialogue and resolution are essential for NewJeans," another netizen remarked.
"Stop this drama by settling everything in court not in the media!!! Please adults around NJ, NJ and Bunnies act mature!!! ADOR has tried to talk and discuss with NJ, but was ignored and not welcomed well," a fan commented.
Latest developments in NewJeans' (NJZ) legal dispute with ADOR
The legal dispute between the group and ADOR began when the members sought to terminate their contracts in November 2024 due to issues with management and their agency's handling of their careers. ADOR, a HYBE subsidiary, responded by filing injunctions to prevent the group from signing independent contracts.
Amid the dispute, NewJeans announced in February 2025 that they'd rebranded the group's name to NJZ.
However, on March 21, 2025, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of ADOR. It upheld the agency's authority over the group and restricted the NewJeans members from engaging in independent activities.
Despite this, NewJeans has chosen to appeal the ruling. They have expressed their intent to continue their legal battle.
According to Billboard, NJZ announced their hiatus on March 23, 2025, after their performance at ComplexCon Hong Kong despite debuting their new song Pit Stop. The five members delivered an emotional speech at the AsiaWorld-Expo Arena in front of over 11,000 fans. The members said,
"It is really hard for us to say this, but this might be our last performance for a little while. Out of respect for the court’s decision, we’ve decided to pause all our activities for now. It wasn’t an easy decision, but we believe this is something we need to do at this moment."
The first lawsuit hearing for the group and ADOR is scheduled to be held on April 3, 2025.
