Japanese actress Harin recently recounted a difficult chapter in her past while appearing on actor Hiromitsu Takeda’s YouTube channel. She revealed that just before debuting as a trainee, her exclusive contract was abruptly terminated.
Reflecting on that time, she said, “We worked hard for two years, practicing from morning to night without sleep.” Her parents had even signed the paperwork, and the CEO had told her, “You’ll debut.”
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, her contract was canceled. “One day, I was suddenly notified that my contract had been terminated. Only me. It was really tough then,” she said.
Harin added, “Of course, as trainees, many people get asked to leave midway. I thought it might happen to me too, but since it happened right before debut, it was painful and shocking.”
She added how she couldn’t say goodbye, and wanted to greet the CEO before leaving but couldn’t before leaving, and ‘felt betrayed.’ Yet, Harin framed it positively: “But I think that experience has allowed me to work even harder now.”
In a January 2025 report, Joy News 24 suggested Harin, born in 2003, had been a trainee under HYBE’s Source Music. She was being considered for debut with NewJeans under producer Min Hee Jin. A trainee-era photo shows Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein from Source Music, with a girl resembling Harin.
This suggests that the Japanese star may have been part of that original group before her contract was canceled just prior to her debut. Since then, Harin has pivoted successfully into acting and is currently active in Korea.
Many speculate that Harin’s removal was linked to the shaman who allegedly advised Min Hee Jin on member selection and other major ADOR decisions.
When her dispute with HYBE became public last year, leaked chat logs revealed she had sought the shaman’s guidance on matters such as NewJeans’ debut and company operations. Shortly after the leak, the shaman shut down her shop and disappeared from public view.
The interview is about a month old; however, it has recently come to the attention of netizens as NewJeans is battling ADOR in court.
The members ended their contracts in November, citing a breach of trust and the dismissal of Min Hee Jin as CEO, and now aim to operate independently. Their lawsuit against the label is in its final stages, with three hearings already completed. Mediation is set for August 14, and if no agreement is reached, the court will issue a verdict on October 30.
