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Did Min Hee Jin instigate NewJeans' Hanni over ILLIT 'ignore' controversy? Alleged chat reveals truth
Did Min Hee-jin provoke NewJeans' Hanni over the ILLIT 'ignore' controversy? Alleged text suggests uncertainty, as Hanni claimed she wasn't sure if ILLIT's manager told members to ignore her.
On March 7, 2025, the members of NJZ (formerly NewJeans) Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein and ADOR appeared in court to address ongoing issues regarding their exclusive contracts and the group's involvement in independent advertising. Among the matters discussed, one incident involving NJZ member Hanni and the management of the girl group ILLIT gained significant attention.
During the court hearing, text message exchanges between Hanni, a member of NJZ, and Min Hee-jin, former CEO of ADOR, were revealed in connection with the so-called ignore her incident involving ILLIT's manager. Hanni said she wasn't sure if ILLIT's manager asked them to ignore her.
This incident, which occurred in May 2024 at the HYBE Labels building, sparked controversy. In the text messages which got revealed, Min Hee Jin asked Hanni if ILLIT's manager had specifically told the members not to greet her, to which Hanni replied, "I'm not sure", as per Edaily report.
This response suggested that Hanni was uncertain about the exact instructions given by the manager, introducing some ambiguity into the details of her earlier claims.
Hanni had previously described the incident as workplace harassment and had spoken out about it publicly, even testifying at a National Assembly audit in October 2024.
In response, ADOR presented new evidence during the same court session, releasing CCTV footage showing three members of ILLIT bowing to Hanni in the hallway of the HYBE building. The footage, which was made public after the hearing, seemed to counter the claims that ILLIT members had ignored Hanni.
However, the text messages between Hanni and Min Hee Jin also raised questions about the specifics of the situation.
The conflict continues to stir public attention, as it raises questions about the treatment of K-pop idols within their agencies and the ways in which managers handle interpersonal relationships between groups.
More questions arise, did Min Hae Jin instigate the Hanni controversy? Or Hanni simply can't remember what she said?
During the first hearing of the NJZ vs ADOR controversy, several other issues were raised, including claims of intentional delays in NJZ's endorsements, ILLIT's plagiarism, and concerns about NewJeans members feeling sidelined. These points were brought up as part of the ongoing legal dispute.
