Latest news with #Attention
Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
ILLIT drags BTS, Jennie, and aespa to refute Min Hee Jin's accusations of copying NewJeans
On July 15, former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin walked free after the court tossed out HYBE's breach of trust accusation, citing 'no criminal evidence.' After a year-long investigation, Seoul's Yongsan Police announced a non-prosecution decision, to which the Bang Si Hyuk-led company fired back with an objection. With NewJeans still caught in the ADOR vs HYBE crossfire, Min's next move was to call out ILLIT. She accused the rookie group of stealing NewJeans' hanbok concept, not just borrowing it, but lifting the look, the mood, and even the moves. BELIFT LAB, ILLIT's agency, has since responded. Also read: NewJeans makes final call on HYBE settlement after reading fans' letters: ADOR issues statement ILLIT, managed by BELIFT LAB (also under HYBE), is a 5th-gen girl group with Yunah, Minju, Moka, Wonhee, and Iroha. The band was formed through the survival show R U Next? and officially debuted earlier this year. During the third court hearing, Min Hee Jin, the former creative force behind NewJeans, told the judge, 'From the styling to the lighting, props, set design, gaze direction of the members, and even the way the photos were framed, ILLIT's hanbok photoshoot looks just like NewJeans'' (via KBIZoom). She also pointed out how the group copied debut strategy, citing NewJeans' first appearance at a Chanel event, and how ILLIT rolled out at a high-profile fashion show soon after. Her legal team claimed even the makeup, hair, and outfits felt lifted, pointing to fans' reactions online, with comments like 'Isn't this NewJeans?' and 'I thought I was looking at a NewJeans update.' Min even flagged choreography, saying ILLIT borrowed sequences from NewJeans' tracks like Attention and Ditto. Also read: Explained: Controversy and drama at Hybe, the K-pop company behind BTS BELIFT Lab fought back the accusations, telling the court that ILLIT's concept is nothing like NewJeans'. They argued that NewJeans leans into a retro Y2K aesthetic with no fixed storyline, while ILLIT follows a 'fantasy princess meets magical girl' theme with its own narrative and world-building. They also pointed out that ILLIT debuted through the reality show R U Next?, where fans saw the journey from day one. In contrast, NewJeans went for a surprise drop, no teasers, no names, just a music video out of the blue, which they called a completely different market strategy. On the hanbok controversy, the agency pushed back hard, saying plenty of K-pop idols have done hanbok shoots in palace backdrops and Min didn't invent the look. 'This claim is baseless and ignores the genre's visual traditions,' they said. As for the choreography, BELIFT Lab argued that moves like hair whips, arm rolls, and sitting poses are standard across K-pop. They cited acts like BTS, Jennie, aespa, G-Dragon, IVE, and ITZY. Letting one group claim ownership over these moves, they warned, would kill creativity and crush fair competition in the industry. While the two seemingly innocent bands are being dragged into the mess, what's really baffling fans is that they've got nothing to do with it. Meanwhile, HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk is now under the scanner, with Korea's financial watchdogs investigating him for allegedly raking in illegal profits during HYBE's 2020 IPO. He skipped out on speaking at a recent hearing, and now it's all going to the prosecutors.
Express Tribune
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Bella Thorne reignites drama with Charlie Puth over past claims
Bella Thorne has resurfaced her drama with singer Charlie Puth, accusing him of spreading false information about her after their brief connection in 2016. The actor made the claim in an Instagram comment on @popfaction's post, in which former Little Mix member Jade revealed she would never collaborate with Charlie. Thorne wrote, 'Yeah I mean... he lied to the entire world about me and started a hate train. All because I wouldn't... do the deed with him.' -Instagram/popfaction. This controversy dates back to 2017, when Charlie Puth publicly accused Bella of cheating on him after she ended her relationship with actor Tyler Posey. Thorne, however, denied the accusations, clarifying the situation during an appearance on The Jenny McCarthy Show (via People). She explained that while she and Posey had broken up, Charlie had been trying to reach out to her, and the two hung out a couple of times. The photos that emerged of them kissing were misinterpreted, she said, and she reassured Posey that nothing inappropriate had occurred. Bella further emphasized that the timeline had been misunderstood by Charlie, who had misread an old article and thought it was about her still being with Posey. Charlie, however, took to Twitter to suggest Bella was still involved with Posey while spending time with him, which Bella later clarified as a misunderstanding due to the misreading of an outdated news article. The situation only escalated, leading to public accusations and intense backlash for Bella. In addition to this drama, Charlie sparked controversy in 2017 when he revealed that his hit song Attention was inspired by a girl who repeatedly withheld sex to keep him emotionally attached. He described the situation in a 2017 Genius video, sharing his frustration with the girl's manipulative behavior. He mentioned that after several instances of this pattern, he realized her intentions. As of now, Charlie Puth has not addressed Bella's latest comments. Representatives for Charlie have yet to respond to requests for comment.
Buzz Feed
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Bella Thorne Claims Charlie Puth Lied Because She Refused Sex
If you cast your mind back to 2016, you might recall that Bella Thorne and Charlie Puth were briefly linked. Though their romance was short-lived, things got incredibly messy after Charlie publicly accused Bella of cheating; he shared a bunch of tweets that seemingly implied she hadn't ended things with her previous partner, Tyler Posey, before pursuing things with him. Bella wound up denying cheating on Charlie, stating during an appearance on SiriusXM's The Jenny McCarthy Show, 'Basically, Ty and I stopped dating and Charlie had been tweeting about me for a while. He was trying to reach out to me. I hung out with him twice. We went to the movies. He was cool.' Fast forward to this week, and Bella has publicly claimed that Charlie 'lied to the entire world' about her because she refused to sleep with him. Commenting under an Instagram post about ex-Little Mix singer JADE saying she'd never collaborate with Charlie, Bella alleged, 'Yeah I mean .. he lied to the entire world about me and started a hate train. All because I wouldn't …. Do the deed with him.' This comes years after Charlie sparked controversy when he revealed that his hit song 'Attention' — which was released in 2017 — was about a girl he found manipulative because she wouldn't have sex with him. We'll keep you posted if anything else unfolds.
Indian Express
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
K-pop group once dubbed ‘female BTS' hit hiatus at career peak, dragged into controversy with future uncertain
BTS and BLACKPINK long ruled the charts in K-pop's modern wave. In 2022, HYBE debuted a five-member girl group that rose so fast, it left some of the biggest 3rd and 4th gen K-pop acts trailing behind in fame, endorsements, and global fanbase. NewJeans, made up of Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein, debuted under HYBE's sub-label ADOR, headed by then-CEO Min Hee Jin. The group was even dubbed the 'female BTS' thanks to what they pulled off in such a short span. But now, after a messy court battle over contracts and a very public HYBE vs ADOR feud, the group has hit an indefinite hiatus, and their future's hanging in the air. What went wrong? Also read: BTS' Suga warns 'the market's not the same' as group confirms 2026 comeback and tour NewJeans debuted in July 2022, after Le Sserafim (HYBE's first girl group), but their rise was nothing short of meteoric. The girls broke away from the traditional, cute, nation's crush image of female idols to a bold, aesthetically-driven, girl-next-door vibe. Their early releases like Attention and Hype Boy turned into youth anthems. Their debut EP New Jeans topped charts in no time, while Ditto achieved a 'Perfect All-Kill' (meaning it topped all major Korean charts simultaneously and stayed there for days). OMG and Super Shy became insanely famous overseas. In such a short time, NewJeans bagged multiple Daesang awards (one of the highest honours in South Korea) at shows like the Golden Disc Awards, Melon Music Awards, and MAMA Awards. By 2023, they became HYBE's richest female rookie group, with endorsements falling into their lap like cake. Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Armani, Celine, Burberry, YSL, Dior, Omega, nearly every luxury brand that once had BTS or BLACKPINK, came calling. Even homegrown giants like Samsung got on board. With their growing influence, they were named Honorary Ambassadors for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, for Seoul Fashion Week, and bagged multiple government-backed titles, carving their place as South Korea's next big soft power. Also Read: NewJeans makes final call on HYBE settlement after reading fans' letters: ADOR issues statement BTS made history with groundbreaking Billboard Music Awards performances, cracking open K-pop's presence on American prime-time. NewJeans, not far behind, made their own BBMA debut in 2023, a huge deal for a group this new. They were even hailed as 'Billboard performers.' But since April 2024, things have started slipping downhill. In 2024, HYBE initiated an audit of ADOR and, in their complaint, alleged that CEO Min Hee Jin was trying to 'poach' NewJeans away from HYBE while secretly planning to establish an independent label. NewJeans sided with Min Hee Jin. The then-CEO hit back, accusing HYBE and its subsidiaries of plagiarism, mistreatment, and sabotaging ADOR's creative independence. Even the members' parents got embroiled in the drama. After Min Hee Jin was sacked from her position, the quintet tried to terminate their contracts and go independent. But ADOR claimed the contracts were still valid. Despite that, NewJeans pushed back, they halted all group activities and even tried to drop music on their own. But ADOR dragged them to court and filed injunctions to stop the members from pursuing anything outside the label. NewJeans lost. They didn't file for appeal. As per the latest court ruling, the group has been ordered to pause all independent activities and stick with ADOR. While other legal battles are still raging on, the group remains on hiatus. What's worse, the once-overwhelming public support for the girls has started to dip. If the court ends up ruling that NewJeans breached their contracts, they could be hit with heavy penalties, including brands pulling out of deals.
Al Etihad
29-06-2025
- Al Etihad
Dubai Police summer programme for students kicks off in 16 training centres
29 June 2025 19:23 DUBAI (WAM) Dubai Police has officially launched its 2025 summer programme for students on Sunday themed "Our Summer is Safety, Happiness, Innovation, and Leadership." This year, the programme welcomes 1,332 students from 35 countries, aged 11 to General Department of Anti-Narcotics' International Hemaya Centre is organising the programme in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai (KHDA), various external entities, as well as several police stations and general of the General Department of Anti-Narcotics, Major General Eid Mohammad bin Thani Harib, underscored the Dubai Police's commitment to supporting and organising summer programmes and activities for students at the end of the academic noted that the goal is to maximise students' time, foster a strong sense of national identity, promote respect for laws and regulations, instil values of loyalty, and cultivate a generation of informed youth aware of significant issues and risks.'This preparation empowers them to tackle challenges responsibly and professionally, helping them avoid legal troubles,' he highlighted that developing a student's character necessitates the collaborative efforts of all institutions, grounded in scientific principles that can nurture a new generation of leaders for both the government and private sectors. He thanked the 40 strategic partners, including government and semi-government entities, various general departments within Dubai Police, and several police stations, for their invaluable support.'Their contributions have played a crucial role in ensuring the sustainability and remarkable growth of seasonal programmes over the years, as well as increasing participation in training centres,' he the Director of the International Hemaya Centre, Brigadier Abdul Rahman Sharf Al Maamari, announced that this year's summer courses will be offered across 16 training Al Maamari said they offer five categories of summer activities, events, and programmes: training programmes, specialised programmes, "Your Awareness is Protection," lectures from strategic partners, and field training programmes include field training, military training, sports training, Future Officer programmes, and sports competitions. Additionally, specialised programmes feature the Little Rescuer Course (Swimming), a diving course, Promising Investigator Course, martial arts course, Little Assistant 901 Course, Bicycle Patrol Course, and SWAT the "Your Awareness is Protection" lectures cover essential topics such as the dangers of drugs, electronic smoking, e-crime, electronic gaming, bullying, traffic safety, and more. Furthermore, field visits will include the Dubai Police Museum, Dubai Police 901 Call Centre, Care and Attention Programme for Police Dogs, Shooting Range, Forensic Evidence, and Horse Care.
