The legal battle between Ador and Danielle (along with her mother and former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin) continues to drag on. On November 12, the 7th hearing of the approximately 330.9 billion won (roughly $248 million) lawsuit took place at the Seoul Central District Court.
The case involves claims for damages and penalty fees that Ador says resulted from NewJeans’ activity suspension and contract disputes. During the hearing, both sides once again disagreed over the submission of documents needed for the damage assessment.
Danielle’s side argued that Ador has only provided some of the requested materials and has not submitted certain advertiser contracts, which they say is delaying the process. Ador countered that they are willing to submit the documents but cannot do so without the other party’s consent, and that existing materials are still under review.
Key issues in the trial include how to calculate the claimed damages from the group’s halted activities, the extent of each defendant’s responsibility, and whether the claim covers the entire group’s suspension or only Danielle’s individual inactivity. Ador previously adjusted the claim amount from about 430.9 billion won (roughly $323 million) to 330.9 billion won.
The court is expected to continue reviewing the submitted materials as the case proceeds.
Note: The current claim of approximately $248 million is an unusually large figure in the entertainment industry. For perspective, it exceeds the estimated net worth of major global artists such as Britney Spears (recently reported in the $130–150 million range following the sale of her music catalog). The final amount, if any, will be determined by the court.