“We are not that comfortable”— Hanni and NJZ(NewJeans) members break silence on backlash over court order violations & adult influence claims

On March 26, 2025, BBC released an interview with NewJeans (NJZ) members. The five members opened up about the ongoing controversy surrounding their legal battle with Ador, the backlash they have faced, and accusations of external influence guiding their decisions.

The interview also marked the first time the group had spoken in-depth about the situation since a South Korean court ruled against them. The court restricted their ability to carry out independent activities.

During the interview, NewJeans member Hanni admitted that the group felt uneasy about constantly revisiting the issue. She explained that they understood the gravity of their situation and they were also aware that it involved another team. She said that they did not want their fight to impact others in the industry negatively.

Her remarks came in response to the growing discourse surrounding their legal battle and the controversy over their decision to break away from the label that originally launched them, ADOR. In the YouTube video released by the BBC, Hanni said,

“And I’ll be completely honest, we’re not that comfortable about constantly bringing up this situation because we know that it involves another team and we don’t want to affect that team in any way, ‘cause you know, there’s no need for that. But, if you don't express how you feel and thinking, then people don't know. People would have just believed what was going on in the media."

The NewJeans members pushed back against the narrative when asked about the claims that powerful figures were influencing their choices behind the scenes. They acknowledged that because of their young age, people often dismissed their ability to make independent decisions. They firmly stated that every step they had taken was a collective choice, made only when all five members agreed. Hanni said,

"Because we’re really young, in a way that's an easy way to kind of devalue the fact that we are actually trying to do something about this issue. It’s just easy to kind of be like “they’re young… what do you think they’re not doing that by themselves”but that doesn’t mean that we’re any less serious or any less concerned about this situation; that’s not the scenario at all."

Hanni continued,

"We’ve always said to each other if one person doesn’t want to do it, then we’re not gonna do it. It has to be all 5 of us that agrees to do it."

Haerin also emphasized that speaking out took an immense amount of courage, but they believed it was necessary. She reiterated that the battle was difficult, but they would continue to advocate for themselves and fight for their rights.

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All we know about NewJeans' (NJZ) ongoing battle with ADOR, the interview release, & plans

NewJeans’ legal troubles began in November 2024. The group publicly announced their departure from Ador. They accused the label of mistreatment, workplace harassment, and attempts to undermine their careers. Their claims were strongly denied by the label which insisted that the group had misunderstood the situation.

A lengthy legal dispute followed, which culminated in a court ruling on March 22, 2025. It later ordered NewJeans to halt all independent activities, including music releases, using NJZ as the group's name and brand deals, until further notice.

In the interview, Hyein revealed that many people assumed their fame gave them the freedom to act as they pleased. However, she stressed that their reality was very different. She expressed frustration over the misconception that they had waited until now to speak up. In truth, she said that they had been silently enduring the situation for a long time.

Danielle described the court’s decision as shocking. Minji also shared that she first learned about it through a message from her mother, who had asked if she was okay. When Minji informed the other members, they were all stunned. They revealed that they struggled to process what had happened.

BBC Korea released a clip of the interview on YouTube. In the footage, the NewJeans members appeared visibly unsettled. This was a stark contrast to their previous interview with the BBC just weeks earlier. At that time, they had been excited about their new single, Pit Stop which they performed at the Hong Kong's ComplexCon Festival before announcing the halting of their activities.

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With their future in limbo, NewJeans remain resolute in their belief that they made the best choices possible given their circumstances. Whether NewJeans will be able to regain control over their careers remains to be seen.