Number one K-pop band NewJeans is about to lose a member, another twist in the band’s bitter year-long feud with its record label.

Ador announced on Monday that they had “terminated” 20-year-old Danielle Marsh’s contract, while Minji’s return remains uncertain, leaving the band with just three members.

On Tuesday, local media reported that Ador was suing Danielle, her family and former boss Min Hee-jin for $32 million. They have not spoken publicly. The BBC has contacted Ador’s parent company Hybe for comment.

The news dashes fans’ hopes of a return less than two months after reports surfaced that NewJeans would be returning to the label as a five-piece band.

Many took to social media with the slogan: “NewJeans five or nothing,” while others questioned why Danielle was singled out.

“Does this make sense??? NewJeans wouldn’t be NewJeans without Danielle. Do you think you can remove a member so easily? Give Danielle back,” one user wrote in an X post.

“This is not fair at all. Free NewJeans (all 5 members),” another wrote on Instagram. “All they want to do is be (artists) and make their fans happy.”

NewJeans, which debuted in 2022 and became the eighth-largest label in the world a year later, was considered a game-changer by critics for its blend of ’90s R&B and sugar-coated pop melodies.

Then, in 2024, drama unfolded for Ador, stemming from the controversial firing of the agency’s former CEO Min Hee-jin, whom NewJeans considered a mentor.

The move rocked the K-pop world, sparking a battle between the highly successful young stars (aged 17 to 21) and Korean entertainment giant Hybe, which owns Ador.

NewJeans accused Adore of “abuse” and “intentional miscommunication and manipulation” before announcing they were leaving the agency. Ador subsequently launched a lawsuit to prevent their departure and won in October. The district court ruled that NewJeans must honor its contract with the brand, which is valid until 2029.

A month later, local media reported that all five members would be returning to the agency.

Ador then issued a surprising statement on Monday saying it would take legal action against a family member of Danielle and Min, who founded the brand and created NewJeans before her dramatic departure.

Ador claimed that the two of them were “heavily responsible” for the agency’s influence on the K-pop group.

Monday’s statement made no mention of the lawsuit against Danielle, saying only that Adore found it difficult to continue working with her and told her they would be terminating their contract.

Ador also claims that members of NewJeans are “continued to be exposed to distorted and biased information,” which has led to “significant misunderstandings” about the brand.

The statement named two other NewJeans members: Hanni, who decided to stay with the brand after “long conversations” with his family, and Minji, who remains in “ongoing conversations” with the agency.

It’s been a whirlwind for fans, especially since Ador originally announced in November that only two members, Hyein and Haerin, would be returning to the agency, sparking fears that the band would break up.

Hours later, Hanni, Danielle and Mingi said in a separate statement that they would be back, too, but those concerns proved to be assuaged, only for a brief period.

“NewJeans is a very important group that has changed the world of female K-pop artists. For music listeners and fans, they have always wanted to see them return as a complete five-member group. But that is no longer possible,” music critic Lim Hee-yun told the BBC, adding that the outcome would not “make anyone happy”.

Mr Lim believes Ador will be under pressure to recruit new members to the band, especially if Minji also leaves the company.

It’s difficult for the trio to succeed in the K-pop industry as fans closely follow the relationships and chemistry between the members.

Danielle’s future as a musician is also uncertain.

“Not only will a large portion of the public view her negatively (because of the controversy), but the record companies will also… She may need to pursue solo acting as an actor, model or influencer,” Mr Lam said.

Additional reporting by Leehyun Choi and Hosu Lee in Seoul