ADOR Fires Back At NewJeans Manager, Threatens Lawsuit After Alleged Contract Breach

ADOR has responded to NewJeans managers' claims of harassment against the label with threats of legal action.

The agency claims that 'A,' the manager who filed workplace harassment complaints against ADOR CEO Kim Joo Young, had breached their contract and cited misconduct.

ADOR accused the manager of directly contacting an advertiser and forming an exclusive agreement with the artist and brand, excluding the company in the process.

"Under the exclusive contract, the artist is required to conduct all entertainment activities exclusively through ADOR," ADOR said in a statement to Export News.

"Despite being given ample opportunities to explain their actions, the manager provided false statements contrary to clear evidence and refused to cooperate with the investigation."

The employee in question, the company added, has "admitted to this communication, which constitutes a serious act of misconduct by aiding a breach of the artist's exclusive contract."

The label, upon their own internal investigation, claims that they gave the employee multiple opportunities to explain, which they refused.

"Under the exclusive contract, the artist is required to conduct all entertainment activities exclusively through ADOR. Despite being given ample opportunities to explain their actions, the manager provided false statements contrary to clear evidence and refused to cooperate with the investigation," they said.

ADOR placed the employee on administrative leave and demanded company assets, including a company laptop, be returned. The company claimed that information on the laptop had been tampered with upon retrieval.

"All information related to work performed using the company's asset must be returned without unauthorized deletion," they said.

"However, the manager only submitted the laptop hours later after receiving it from an unknown party. It had been formatted to the point of being irrecoverable, making it impossible to determine what data was deleted during the process. We plan to thoroughly investigate the truth and take necessary legal action."

The label ADOR and K-pop group NewJeans are currently in an ongoing legal battle over the validity of their contract. NewJeans announced their plans to terminate their exclusive agreement with the company, citing concerns of harassment and bullying.

ADOR has responded to the girls' claims with a lawsuit to uphold and confirm the validity of their exclusive agreement in court.