NewJeans’ Long Road Back: How A Broken Contract Battle Is Turning Into A Real Comeback

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Nearly two years after NewJeans first tried to walk away from ADOR entirely, the group looks closer than ever to an actual return, piece by piece, member by member. Here’s the full arc.

The Break

In late 2024, all five members attempted to terminate their exclusive contracts with ADOR, citing a breakdown of trust following the very public falling-out between ADOR’s then-CEO Min Hee-jin, the creative force behind the group’s entire identity, and parent company HYBE. It became one of the most public legal fights K-pop has seen in years.

The Court Ruling That Changed Everything

On October 30, 2025, the Seoul Central District Court sided with ADOR, ruling the members’ contracts remained valid through 2029 and rejecting their claim that mismanagement justified termination.

A Group Splits In Its Response

Two weeks later, the group fractured in how they responded. Haerin and Hyein, the group’s two youngest members at the time, confirmed individually they’d return to ADOR after discussions with their families. Minji, Hanni, and Danielle initially said they’d return too, but through a public statement issued via their lawyers rather than direct label communication, a move that drew criticism for how it played out.

[MY TAKE]

I don’t think the different approaches say much about the members’ personal relationships with each other. People just have different thought processes when it comes to something this big.

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Danielle’s Situation Turns

Of the three, Danielle’s path took the sharpest turn. ADOR ultimately terminated her contract entirely, citing a “breakdown of trust,” and filed a damages lawsuit against her worth roughly 4 billion won. Minji’s status has remained the most unresolved, still reportedly in ongoing discussions with the label months later.

Signs Of Life

Through spring 2026, physical evidence of a comeback started stacking up: Haerin, Hyein, and Hanni were spotted together in Copenhagen for what ADOR confirmed was “preproduction” work, and Hyein made a surprise appearance at a fan-run birthday event in April, visibly emotional as she thanked supporters in person for the first time in months.

[MY TAKE]

The Copenhagen trip and birthday appearance felt like PR moves to me. If ADOR didn’t want them to be seen, they wouldn’t have been seen.

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Where Things Stand Now

By July, the group marked their fourth anniversary with a “2026 Summer of NewJeans” special film series, their first joint content in two years, though notably framed around four members rather than five. This week, both surviving covergirl activities landed back to back: Haerin fronted Marie Claire Korea, and now Hyein has landed the September Harper’s Bazaar Korea cover in a Bottega Veneta collaboration, her first major solo shoot since confirming her return.

[MY TAKE]

I do expect NewJeans to make a comeback as a group, just maybe not with as many members since Danielle’s already been let go. But after seeing their comeback spoilers, they’re definitely making some kind of return.

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