Australian-Korean singer Danielle Marsh, a member of K-pop girl band NewJeans, was ousted from the group on Monday by agency ADOR amid a long legal battle over contract breach.

With Danielle’s contract termination, the five-member band is now only left with Minji, Hanni, Haerin, and Hyein.

“It would be difficult for her (Danielle) to continue as a member of NewJeans and as an artist under ADOR, so we notified her today of the termination of her exclusive contract,” ADOR, or All Doors One Room, said in a statement on Monday.

The development has left the band’s fate hanging in balance, according to South Korean media.

The rift between the band and the agency first came to light in 2024 after the band members said they were discontinuing their contract with ADOR, citing mistreatment.

However, after a court gave a verdict in favour of the agency in October, a few members announced their return.

The two youngest members, Haerin and Hyein, officially announced their return to ADOR in November.

ADOR has issued a statement which claims that the agency is still in ‘extensive talks’ with NewJeans members, as well as their families, following a final court ruling that upheld the validity of the group’s exclusive contracts.

“Hanni visited the Republic of Korea (ROK) with her family and engaged in in-depth discussions with ADOR over an extended period. After sincere conversations, Hanni decided to respect the court's decision and continue with ADOR. Minji is also in talks with ADOR, and both sides are working to deepen their mutual understanding,” the agency said in a statement.

While Hanni is set to rejoin the agency, Minji is still in talks, the agency said.

Meanwhile, ADOR has hinted at legal action against one of Danielle’s family members and Min Hee-jin, the former CEO of the agency.

“Furthermore, we intend to hold legally accountable one of Danielle Marsh's family members and former CEO Min Hee-jin, who bears significant responsibility for causing this dispute and delaying NewJeans' return,” the agency said.

The bone of contention

The feud began after former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin was accused by HYBE of trying to take over ADOR. In her defence, Hee-jin claimed that HYBE ill-treated her and disrespected NewJeans, which led to a messy legal battle over contracts and company shares.

The members of NewJeans took Min Hee-jin’s side, claiming breach of trust by ADOR. The members even announced their plans to cancel their contracts with the agency and work independently as NJZ.

However, ADOR stepped in and blocked the band’s independent work, suing its members over contract validity and policy.

A Seoul court ruled in the agency’s favour by stating that the contracts, signed by the members of NewJeans, are valid till 2029. The court even revealed records that show disagreements between the singers’ parents and the agency.

NewJeans debuted in 2022 with the lead single Attention. They later gained popularity with some of their chartbusters, including Hype Boy, OMG and Ditto.