During the first hearing of NJZ vs. HYBE’s ADOR on March 7, 2025, NJZ claimed HYBE prioritized LE SSERAFIM over them, interfering with their brand deals and breaking prior commitments. The “Super Shy” singers argued that they were originally promised to debut as HYBE’s first girl group, only to be left second to LE SSERAFIM, who debuted first.
NJZ reveals that HYBE tried to sabotage their image by prohibiting them from wearing commemorative ribbons over the Jeju incident while preparing ribbons for other HYBE artists. Hanni unilaterally prepared the ribbons after learning that it was allowedhttps://t.co/CLH5fAEOMS pic.twitter.com/6NTlNSl4Tu
— pannchoa (@pannchoa) March 7, 2025
One of NJZ’s key complaints was about member Hyein’s ambassador deal with Louis Vuitton. They alleged that HYBE pushed for LE SSERAFIM to take over the role, leading to confusion. According to NJZ, Louis Vuitton later apologized, admitting they assumed HYBE had obtained HYBE’s ADOR approval for the change. This reinforced NJZ’s theory that the agency manipulated their deal to sabotage them.
ADOR defended the situation, arguing that their CEO was unfairly blaming HYBE for decisions made within the fashion industry. Adding to the controversy, member Hanni took to Instagram to tell the label to stop bothering her and twisting the narrative in court, making things take an even more tense turn.
As both sides continue to battle in court, the legal drama surrounding NJZ’s contract dispute is escalating into one of K-pop’s biggest industry feuds.
