On March 26, media outlet BBC released a new interview featuring NJZ, in which the members opened up about the turbulent year they’ve faced and how it continues to shape their journey. Hanni, in particular, drew attention for her candid remarks regarding the broader impact of their situation.
While reflecting on the past year, Hanni emphasized that the decisions made during the period weren’t impulsive but came after extensive internal discussions. She acknowledged the complexity of their position and how it had begun to entangle “another team”.
Though Hanni didn’t explicitly name the group, her comments appeared to allude to earlier allegations of concept plagiarism aimed at HYBE’s rookie girl group ILLIT—accusations that surfaced when tensions between ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and HYBE first became public. Many speculated that ILLIT’s debut bore striking similarities to NewJeans’ aesthetic, sparking online discourse.
There were also long-standing claims suggesting HYBE betrayed Min Hee-jin by debuting LE SSERAFIM ahead of NewJeans, despite having made different promises.
In the interview, Hanni voiced her discomfort over repeatedly addressing the controversy, especially because of how it might reflect on another group. She expressed a strong desire not to drag others into the crossfire.
“We’re not entirely comfortable with constantly talking about this, knowing it could affect another team. It’s unnecessary to that team, and we don’t want that,” Hanni explained thoughtfully.
Despite her reservations, Hanni also clarified that remaining silent wasn’t an option. She stressed the importance of setting the record straight, especially when public perception could be shaped by incomplete or misleading media narratives, adding, “Even though we didn’t want to speak out, we felt like we had to. If we hadn’t, people would just believe everything they were hearing elsewhere”.
Meanwhile, in the interview, NewJeans members also emphasized their distress with the current situation, as well as how they made their own decisions after reaching an agreement between the members. The girl group has recently filed an objection against the court ruling in favor of ADOR regarding their injunction case and even announced a suspension of activities.
