On December 10, ADOR addressed allegations involving NewJeans' manager, identified as 'A,' who had filed a complaint against ADOR CEO Kim Joo Young, citing workplace harassment. ADOR accused the manager of misconduct and announced plans for legal action.
In a statement to Xports News, ADOR revealed that "a staff member responsible for managing the artist recently contacted an advertiser directly to facilitate a contract between the artist and the brand without involving the company. The manager has admitted to this communication, which constitutes a serious act of misconduct by aiding a breach of the artist's exclusive contract."
ADOR emphasized that the manager, as a member of the company, is obligated to ensure the smooth execution of the exclusive agreements between the company and its artists. "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," the company stated.
The company further disclosed that it had placed the manager on administrative leave and demanded the return of company assets, including a company laptop. ADOR clarified, "There was no illegal detention or coercive action during this process. We made several attempts to hold interviews to allow the manager to present their case, but all requests were declined."
ADOR also raised concerns about the condition of the returned company laptop. "All information related to work performed using the company's asset must be returned without unauthorized deletion. 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." ADOR stated that it would thoroughly investigate the matter and take appropriate legal measures.
This development comes amidst an ongoing dispute between ADOR and NewJeans over their exclusive contract. NewJeans recently declared their intention to terminate the agreement, citing unmet demands for rectifications. ADOR has responded by filing a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract with the court.
SEE ALSO: K-netizens react to ADOR staff using body cams to film vacated NewJeans dorms