The quintet is set to headline the ComplexCon 2025 Hong Kong as NJZ for the first time.
NewJeans have rebranded themselves as NJZ after departure from ADOR. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
Danielle, Hanni, Haerin, Hyein and Minji started a new chapter in their career by leaving their former agency, ADOR and moniker NewJeans. Months after departing from the HYBE subsidiary, they officially revealed their new name, NJZ, alongside other exciting endeavours. A post by Complex Magazine revealed their new looks and announced that the quintet would perform at the ComplexCon 2025 Hong Kong as NJZ. The five-membered group will be the headliner at the event, which is scheduled to take place on March 23.
Just weeks after the announcement, parents of NJZ members alleged that HYBE’s Chairman, Bang Si Hyuk, tried to cancel their performance at ComplexCon. As reported by South Korean media outlets, they released a statement on February 19, mentioning that they “heard from a ComplexCon insider that HYBE chairman Bang Si Hyuk personally called (ComplexCon) organisers in the United States and tried to persuade them to cancel the NJZ members’ performance.”
Right after the statement surfaced in the media, ADOR released a statement, counterclaiming that the HYBE Chairman never made such requests. As quoted by Soompi, the agency stated, “ADOR has never attempted to get NewJeans’ Hong Kong performance cancelled. We have also confirmed that chairman Bang Si Hyuk has never contacted anyone at all about NewJeans’ Hong Kong performance.”
Further in their statement, the HYBE subsidiary requested that the organisers of the event use the former name, NewJeans, for the quintet. They continued, “Just as we have previously requested to the domestic media, ADOR requested that the organisers use the official group name “NewJeans,” and we also requested that, based on (NewJeans’) exclusive contract, the organisers work with ADOR as they move forward with the performance.”
Previously, when the five-membered K-pop girl group unveiled their new name through their newly launched Instagram account, ADOR released a statement responding to the rebranding. They said, “It is deeply regrettable that the members made this unilateral decision before any legal ruling has been made regarding the validity of their exclusive contracts with ADOR.”
ADOR further mentioned that they were open to meeting with the NewJeans members or their representatives to resolve the misunderstandings and plan their future activities.
Back in November 2024, the quintet announced their departure from ADOR after months of escalating tension between HYBE and ADOR’s former CEO, Min Hee Jin. Another reason for the sudden contract termination was ‘mistreatment’.
