NewJeans Releases First Teasers As Four Member Group Without Danielle

What The NewJeans 2026 Summer Teasers Show

The individual films and accompanying photographs show each of the four members in a nostalgic, summer-themed visual register consistent with the Y2K, nostalgic visual style established during NewJeans’ debut era. The group video is accompanied by the question “Did You See The White Furry Animal?”, a bunny reference that ties into the group’s established imagery and reference to fans as bunnies. The teasers were posted under the “NewJeans Day” banner across the group’s official social channels.

NewJeans’ Teasers Confirm Minji’s Return To The Group

The teasers reinforce that ADOR’s current plans center on a four-member lineup following Danielle’s departure and also resolves Minji’s official status with the group, which had been up in the air since the legal dispute began in 2024. As recently as June 2026, ADOR was only confirming that discussions with her were “generally proceeding in a positive direction.” Her appearance in today’s teasers alongside Hanni, Haerin, and Hyein is the first official confirmation that she has returned to the group. No formal announcement about her return had previously been made.

What Happened With NewJeans And Danielle

At the time their world fell apart, NewJeans were one of the industry’s breakout acts, both commercially and critically. They debuted in 2022 under HYBE subsidiary ADOR, with their first single “Attention” and almost none of the conventional pre-debut promotion. Within a year they had topped charts across South Korea and internationally. Their second EP Get Up reached number one on the Billboard 200, making them the eighth biggest-selling act in the world just a year after debut, according to the IFPI. Seoul City Hall appointed them Honorary Ambassadors of the city of Seoul in 2023. As a group they held partnerships with Coca-Cola, Levi’s, McDonald’s Korea, Nike, Musinsa, OLENS, and Apple, among others. Individually, every member landed an ambassadorship with a global luxury house within their first year — Minji with Chanel, Hanni with Gucci, Haerin with Dior, Hyein with Louis Vuitton, and Danielle with Burberry — which is virtually unprecedented for a rookie group.

The collapse began in April 2024 when HYBE launched an internal audit of ADOR and accused its CEO Min Hee-jin, the creative director who shaped much of NewJeans’ visual and creative identity, of attempting to take the label independent. Min publicly denied the accusations and counter-accused HYBE of allowing its subsidiary BeLift Lab (also home to ENHYPEN) to copy NewJeans’ concept for their new group ILLIT.

After months of escalating conflict, Min resigned in November 2024. Eight days later, all five NewJeans members held an emergency press conference declaring their contracts with ADOR invalid and accusing the agency of having “neither the ability nor the will to protect” NewJeans. The Seoul Central District Court rejected their claim in October 2025, ruling that the dismissal of Min Hee-jin did not constitute grounds for contract termination and that the members’ agreements with ADOR remained valid until 2029.

ForbesNewJeans Danielle’s Dispute Is The Latest In A Long Line Of K-Pop LawsuitsBy Hannah Abraham

Danielle’s contract with ADOR was terminated in December last year, following the Seoul Central District Court’s October ruling that the members’ exclusive contracts with ADOR remained valid. ADOR subsequently filed a lawsuit against Danielle and former CEO Min Hee-jin seeking approximately $30 million in damages. Since her exit from NewJeans, Danielle has begun an independent career; she posted a self-composed demo track on Instagram in April this year and opened a personal account on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu. The damages lawsuit remains ongoing.