Latest news with #JYP
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Bae Suzy avoids ex-Miss: A member Min's wedding: fans speculate over invitation snub, rekindling past feud rumors
Min, a favorite ex-member of the legendary K-pop group Miss A, wed her long-time beau—an entrepreneur outside show business, on June 7, 2025, in a small, intimate ceremony in Seoul. Although the wedding was a lovely reunion of friends and happy memories, it soon became a burning issue among fans because of one glaring omission: one of K-pop's biggest stars, Bae Suzy. A sweet, nostalgic celebration In spite of the low-key celebration, Min's wedding became a mini-reunion for Miss A as former group members Fei and Jia arrived to join the festivities. The two stars both used social media to congratulate Min and express their happiness and love for her. Jia, who is now working in China's showbiz scene, shared a few loving pictures with Min on her wedding day, captioning them, "So pretty, so sexy, and so lovely. Huge congratulations! The pictures captured the happiness and warmth of the moment, with the two embracing and laughing together.". Fei also expressed these sentiments, posting her gallery of hugs and genuine smiles. Her touching caption was, "Let's be happy always. I love you." For fans of Miss A for a while now, getting to see the three of them together was an emotional experience, as in-between public reunions of ex-members have been few since the group's disbandment. The Lack of Suzy: A Quiet Inquiry But as Fei and Jia's posts made the rounds online, fans immediately picked up that Suzy was nowhere to be seen at both the ceremony and the photoshoot. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Irish homeowners eligible for solar 'bonus' if they live in these eircodes Activ8 Learn More Undo As the most popular member of Miss A and now a household name in South Korea through her successful acting and solo singing career, Suzy's not being there didn't go unnoticed. Within hours, fans had taken to social media and online forums to query why she wasn't there, with a number of them speculating she may not have even received an invite. This speculation renewed long-standing gossip regarding Suzy's relationship with her former group members. While Miss A was still active under JYP Entertainment, fans could always sense tension between Suzy and the rest of the group, particularly after her breakthrough acting stint in the 2012 drama "Dream High." As her solo career continued to flourish, Suzy was regularly missing from group activities, which sparked speculations of a strained relationship. Rumors and Reality: The Group's History Miss A was formed in 2010 and gained popularity instantly with "Bad Girl Good Girl" and "Goodbye Baby." Although successful, fans would frequently notice cringe-worthy body positioning and sitting arrangements at interviews, as if Suzy was a little disengaged from the group. Following Miss A's hiatus in 2017, Suzy stayed behind at JYP before relocating to another agency to concentrate on her solo career, while Fei, Jia, and Min took individual directions. The three have had visible online interactions throughout the years, whereas Suzy has had a distant presence, and she seldom reacts to her ex-bandmates online. Nevertheless, it should be noted that none of the members of Miss A have ever given public comments on the rumors of a split-up or internal discord. No Official Word, But Speculation Persists As Min's wedding reunited Fei and Jia in a celebration of happiness, Suzy's absence also fueled speculation about the group's dynamics once again. Without any official statements made by any of the members, the exact nature of their relationships remains something of a fan debate. For the time being, the focus stays on Min's joyous new life—and the lingering questions surrounding Miss A's past. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Pink Villa
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Bae Suzy SKIPS ex-Miss A member Min's wedding: Here's why fans think she ‘didn't even receive invitation'
Min, a former member of the iconic second-generation K-pop group Miss A, exchanged vows with her longtime boyfriend on June 7, 2025. He's an entrepreneur outside the entertainment industry. The wedding ceremony was held privately in Seoul. The event brought together cherished friends, heartfelt memories, and nostalgic reunions. But it also sparked renewed debate among fans due to the absence of a key figure, Bae Suzy. A sweet celebration Though the ceremony was kept private and low-key, it turned into a memorable occasion as Min's former groupmates Fei and Jia joined the celebration. The pair didn't just attend the wedding; they celebrated it publicly with enthusiastic posts and affectionate words. Jia, now active in China's entertainment scene, shared multiple photos with Min from the wedding on her social media account. In her caption, she gushed, 'So pretty, so sexy, and so lovely. Huge congratulations!' The pictures showed Jia and Min posing in warm embraces, laughing and celebrating a moment that clearly meant a lot to both. Fei, another member of the group and Min's long-time friend, echoed the sentiment. Her caption read, 'Let's be happy always. I love you,' alongside a set of photos filled with hugs, linked arms, and candid smiles. The sight of the trio reunited was an emotional treat for long-time Miss A fans. They rarely get to see former members together post-disbandment. The absence of Suzy: A silent question While the reunion brought smiles and a sense of nostalgia, it also raised eyebrows. Missing from both the event and the photos was Suzy. She is Miss A's most famous member and a household name in South Korea thanks to her successful solo career in acting. Her absence did not go unnoticed. As Fei and Jia posted their congratulatory updates, fans across social media and online communities began questioning why Suzy wasn't there. Within hours, past rumors resurfaced, reviving the group's old 'Suzy outcast' and bullying allegations. The roots of the speculation Miss A debuted under JYP Entertainment in 2010 and quickly became a force in the K-pop world with hits like Bad Girl Good Girl and Goodbye Baby. But even during their active years, fans often noted that Suzy seemed somewhat detached from the group's activities. It was allegedly more visible after her breakout role in the 2012 drama Dream High elevated her to solo stardom. As Suzy's solo career in acting and endorsements skyrocketed, she was frequently missing from group appearances or schedules. Fans also noticed awkward body language and seating arrangements during joint interviews and variety shows. It sparked theories that her relationship with the other members wasn't as close. After Miss A officially disbanded in 2017, Suzy remained with JYP before moving to a different agency to focus entirely on acting and solo music. Meanwhile, the rest of the members each pursued different paths. Renewed talk of a rift Now, with Min's wedding acting as a possible informal mini-reunion for the group, Suzy's no-show has brought those long-standing rumors back to the forefront. Many also pointed out that the other three members have consistently interacted online over the years, while Suzy has maintained a distant social media presence. She rarely engaged with her former bandmates. It's important to note that none of the former Miss A members have ever publicly spoken about a fallout or any kind of internal group conflict. Despite ongoing rumors of Suzy being isolated or even subtly excluded, no official statements or interviews have confirmed any of these claims.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former teen member of L.A. K-pop group sues management, alleging abuse and exploitation
Something about K-pop always captivated Kiera Grace Madder. The 17-year-old singer has been a fan of the synchronized choreography, fashion-forward outfits and unique sound coming out of South Korea for as long as she could remember. So in 2022, when she learned JYP Entertainment, one of the biggest K-pop talent agencies, had plans to make a group with North American-based talent, she jumped at the opportunity. She auditioned for a reality show and earned her place in an all-girl group called VCHA, with five other teens. But last summer, less than a year after officially debuting, the group pulled out of Lollapalooza and nearly went radio silent on social media. In a lawsuit filed last December against JYP USA in L.A. County Superior Court, Madder, who goes by the stage name KG Crown, revealed she had left VCHA and alleged child labor law violations, abuse and exploitation. 'I knew the K-pop system was very hardworking — probably one of the most hardworking systems in the music industry,' Madder told The Times. 'I'm a hard worker, so I was willing to put in any hard work, but I did not know about what can go on behind closed doors.' JYP USA issued a statement on social media when the lawsuit was filed, claiming Madder had made 'unilateral public statements containing false and exaggerated claims.' The agency declined to comment further in response to questions from The Times, citing the 'ongoing legal matter.' Madder, identified as 'K.M.' in the court documents, said she signed her contract with JYP at age 15. Read more: NCT Dream talks about impact of K-pop culture in L.A. and forthcoming 'futuristic' album VCHA began an intense training regimen, traveling between JYP's Seoul headquarters and Los Angeles to rehearse. In L.A., the six girls shared a $2.5-million Beverly Hills mansion, where Madder alleges they were under constant surveillance. According to the lawsuit, staying in the home was 'optional,' but Madder said she felt pressured to live there by the JYP staff. In addition to a live-in staffer who monitored the girls, Madder says video cameras watched and recorded their private conversations. The lawsuit claims the company presented the cameras as a part of the 'house's alarm system' when they were installed. According to Madder's lawsuit, the surveillance system was a 'tool aimed at controlling our eating, movements, and behavior.' JYP allegedly maintained full control over the trainees' schedules, even on days off. In order to leave the home, the group members had to submit their plans ahead of time and get approval, Madder's suit alleges. She says she even had to ask permission to see her mother on the weekends. 'I honestly felt like it was a prison and the house staff was the prison guard,' Madder said. 'I felt like JYP had become my parent, but the strictest parent I ever lived with.' Madder's lawsuit alleges the company 'controlled [her] diet and pressured [her] to eat less.' Their meals were 'restricted to small salads,' she alleged, and their weight was monitored. 'The skinnier you are, the more respected and prettier you're viewed. It's ridiculous,' Madder said. 'At times, in South Korea, they would tell us, 'Lose weight or you're going to regret the way you look on camera.'' In training for performances, JYP allegedly pushed the VCHA girls to their physical limits. In the lawsuit, Madder recalls being denied meal breaks and water during rehearsal, and alleges she was forced to work long days on little sleep. As recounted in the lawsuit, Madder's days would typically begin at 7 a.m. with a few hours of school, followed by rehearsals that started at 10:30 a.m. and went into the late hours of the night. Read more: J-Hope of BTS on his Billboard success and becoming the first solo Korean artist to headline BMO Stadium Madder alleges there were several instances in which she had to continue training after suffering injuries. The lawsuit describes a dance instructor who "singled" Madder out, making her repeat a move more than a hundred times without stopping for a break, which allegedly caused a tendon tear in her shoulder. 'I had tears in my eyes and was very stressed," she recalled. 'It's one of those situations where you don't have to escalate it to the point of abuse.' She was also forced to rehearse despite suffering injuries to her hip and leg, her lawsuit claims. The court filings include photos of her in hospital gowns and receipts for medical treatments, along with images of bruises that she said she sustained during dance training. Screenshots of text messages included in the lawsuit show that Madder described being forced to 'dance thru the pain.' In another text conversation from last May included in the suit, she wrote, 'Honestly I feel like I don't [have] a personality anymore or am my own person. They changed me and I lost all my good.' According to the lawsuit, Madder started to miss school as the stress from training piled up. She says other members of the group developed eating disorders, engaged in self-harm and, in February of last year, one of them attempted suicide. Madder said she has not spoken to fellow VCHA members since her departure from the group in May 2024. Madder accuses JYP of underpaying her and failing to deliver promised royalties and a share of the revenue from the group. The lawsuit alleges she received $500 during weeks in which she worked over 12-hour days, which falls below California's minimum wage. Madder's lawsuit also says she is saddled with more than $500,000 in debt to JYP for 'company expenses.' Read more: Babymonster discusses debut world tour, working with G-Dragon and the success of album 'Drip' She alleges in her lawsuit that she was 'forced to sign contracts while being given only a few minutes to review them,' including ones that were written in Korean, a language Madder doesn't speak. Her mother, Tracey Madder, said in a statement to The Times that filing the lawsuit "was 100 percent KG's decision, which I fully support due to the circumstances she experienced." "I am hopeful for the best possible outcome for all parties involved," she said. The younger Madder said she hasn't been able to work, release music or post on social media since leaving VCHA. When she first got home after leaving the JYP mansion, she says, she felt 'brainwashed' and like she 'would never be able to make it in the music industry again." The next court hearing in her lawsuit is set for June 20. 'I'm praying that the judge can see the light in the situation and let me go,' Madder said. 'I don't want clout. I don't want attention. I want to be free. That's what I want — freedom.' Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Former teen member of L.A. K-pop group sues management, alleging abuse and exploitation
Something about K-pop always captivated Kiera Grace Madder. The 17-year-old singer has been a fan of the synchronized choreography, fashion-forward outfits and unique sound coming out of South Korea for as long as she could remember. So in 2022, when she learned JYP Entertainment, one of the biggest K-pop talent agencies, had plans to make a group with North American-based talent, she jumped at the opportunity. She auditioned for a reality show and earned her place in an all-girl group called VCHA, with five other teens. But last summer, less than a year after officially debuting, the group pulled out of Lollapalooza and nearly went radio silent on social media. In a lawsuit filed last December against JYP USA in L.A. County Superior Court, Madder, who goes by the stage name KG Crown, revealed she had left VCHA and alleged child labor law violations, abuse and exploitation. 'I knew the K-pop system was very hardworking — probably one of the most hardworking systems in the music industry,' Madder told The Times. 'I'm a hard worker, so I was willing to put in any hard work, but I did not know about what can go on behind closed doors.' JYP USA issued a statement on social media when the lawsuit was filed, claiming Madder had made 'unilateral public statements containing false and exaggerated claims.' The agency declined to comment further in response to questions from The Times, citing the 'ongoing legal matter.' Madder, identified as 'K.M.' in the court documents, said she signed her contract with JYP at age 15. VCHA began an intense training regimen, traveling between JYP's Seoul headquarters and Los Angeles to rehearse. In L.A., the six girls shared a $2.5-million Beverly Hills mansion, where Madder alleges they were under constant surveillance. According to the lawsuit, staying in the home was 'optional,' but Madder said she felt pressured to live there by the JYP staff. In addition to a live-in staffer who monitored the girls, Madder says video cameras watched and recorded their private conversations. The lawsuit claims the company presented the cameras as a part of the 'house's alarm system' when they were installed. According to Madder's lawsuit, the surveillance system was a 'tool aimed at controlling our eating, movements, and behavior.' JYP allegedly maintained full control over the trainees' schedules, even on days off. In order to leave the home, the group members had to submit their plans ahead of time and get approval, Madder's suit alleges. She says she even had to ask permission to see her mother on the weekends. 'I honestly felt like it was a prison and the house staff was the prison guard,' Madder said. 'I felt like JYP had become my parent, but the strictest parent I ever lived with.' Madder's lawsuit alleges the company 'controlled [her] diet and pressured [her] to eat less.' Their meals were 'restricted to small salads,' she alleged, and their weight was monitored. 'The skinnier you are, the more respected and prettier you're viewed. It's ridiculous,' Madder said. 'At times, in South Korea, they would tell us, 'Lose weight or you're going to regret the way you look on camera.'' In training for performances, JYP allegedly pushed the VCHA girls to their physical limits. In the lawsuit, Madder recalls being denied meal breaks and water during rehearsal, and alleges she was forced to work long days on little sleep. As recounted in the lawsuit, Madder's days would typically begin at 7 a.m. with a few hours of school, followed by rehearsals that started at 10:30 a.m. and went into the late hours of the night. Madder alleges there were several instances in which she had to continue training after suffering injuries. The lawsuit describes a dance instructor who 'singled' Madder out, making her repeat a move more than a hundred times without stopping for a break, which allegedly caused a tendon tear in her shoulder. 'I had tears in my eyes and was very stressed,' she recalled. 'It's one of those situations where you don't have to escalate it to the point of abuse.' She was also forced to rehearse despite suffering injuries to her hip and leg, her lawsuit claims. The court filings include photos of her in hospital gowns and receipts for medical treatments, along with images of bruises that she said she sustained during dance training. Screenshots of text messages included in the lawsuit show that Madder described being forced to 'dance thru the pain.' In another text conversation from last May included in the suit, she wrote, 'Honestly I feel like I don't [have] a personality anymore or am my own person. They changed me and I lost all my good.' According to the lawsuit, Madder started to miss school as the stress from training piled up. She says other members of the group developed eating disorders, engaged in self-harm and, in February of last year, one of them attempted suicide. Madder said she has not spoken to fellow VCHA members since her departure from the group in May 2024. Madder accuses JYP of underpaying her and failing to deliver promised royalties and a share of the revenue from the group. The lawsuit alleges she received $500 during weeks in which she worked over 12-hour days, which falls below California's minimum wage. Madder's lawsuit also says she is saddled with more than $500,000 in debt to JYP for 'company expenses.' She alleges in her lawsuit that she was 'forced to sign contracts while being given only a few minutes to review them,' including ones that were written in Korean, a language Madder doesn't speak. Her mother, Tracey Madder, said in a statement to The Times that filing the lawsuit 'was 100 percent KG's decision, which I fully support due to the circumstances she experienced.' 'I am hopeful for the best possible outcome for all parties involved,' she said. The younger Madder said she hasn't been able to work, release music or post on social media since leaving VCHA. When she first got home after leaving the JYP mansion, she says, she felt 'brainwashed' and like she 'would never be able to make it in the music industry again.' The next court hearing in her lawsuit is set for June 20. 'I'm praying that the judge can see the light in the situation and let me go,' Madder said. 'I don't want clout. I don't want attention. I want to be free. That's what I want — freedom.'
Korea Herald
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Bringing Bay Area swagger to K-pop: Inside the journey of SM's former hitmaker
From working as an English teacher to founding his own K-pop label, Paul Thompson opens up about his journey, struggles and dreams for his new girl group, VVS Before Paul Thompson became one of K-pop's most prolific songwriters, penning hits such as Exo's 'Love Shot,' NCT U's 'The 7th Sense' and Taeyeon's 'Fine,' his musical roots were planted far from Seoul — in the backseat of his parents' car in the Bay Area, where Motown was the soundtrack of his youth. 'When I was really young, I loved Motown because my parents loved Motown. But eventually, as I got older, hip-hop,' Thompson said in an interview with The Korea Herald, May 15. 'I loved Dr. Dre, I loved The Game, Tupac, all that stuff. I was also from the Bay Area. There's a specific genre of music from the Bay Area called Hyphy music. It's like the most unique style of hip-hop. It influenced all of the southern hip-hop and, like a lot of the slang that you hear to this day, comes from the San Francisco Bay Area,' he added. The spark — K-pop through SAT tutoring Thompson first encountered K-pop while teaching a Korean family in the US that had recently moved from Busan, Korea's second-largest city, for a couple of summers between 2007 and 2008 in his hometown of Stockton. 'Every time they would have a break time, students would watch K-pop and then they would show me what it was. I remember JYP, I remember they showed me 'Nobody' by Wonder Girls,' Thompson recalled. 'But up until that point, I hadn't known anything about K-pop.' His impression of 'Nobody' was that it was a clear homage to American R&B groups like The Supremes and the Temptations — and that curiosity stuck with him. Years later, when he came to Korea to teach English in 2013, because his music career in LA didn't work out and he needed to pay off student loans, he remembered JYP Entertainment and decided to send the agency his demos, just to see if there was still a shot at a music career. Reigniting his passion in Seoul After just eight months of teaching, Thompson realized he couldn't let go of music. He bought a keyboard at Nagwon Sangga, a mall with the largest collection of music-related stores in Korea and began playing in his room. "I got passion again,' Thompson said. He looked up K-pop and started applying to local music labels. His previous experience as a headhunter at a Silicon Valley tech company helped him navigate the industry. 'When I was applying to K-pop agencies, I remembered JYP. I contacted, like, all the top people from JYP on LinkedIn,' Thompson said. One of the JYP songwriters asked for a few tracks. Thompson submitted a demo he had written back in LA, and that track would later be released as 'Once More' on singer-songwriter GSoul's debut EP in 2015. 'This was within a week of me signing (with) JYP,' Thompson said. Frustrations and rejections at JYP Despite the promising start, Thompson's two-year stint at JYP Entertainment proved difficult. Though originally contracted for three years, the company let him go early. 'When they originally signed me, I think they were excited because I had that one song (Once More) that ended up getting placed very quickly. But after that, I got nothing else for two years,' Thompson said. He didn't know much about K-pop at the time — let alone the JYP house style. He submitted many songs for 2PM, Got7 and Miss A, but none made it to the albums. 'They told me, like, 'Paul, why don't you listen to what's on the charts and tell us what you think you can make?' I remember specifically listening to Red Velvet's 'Happiness,' Exo's 'Overdose' and Taeyeon's 'I.' I started to realize 'oh, I can make this stuff,'' Thompson said. He told JYP, but the company said those were songs in SM Entertainment's (SM) style. A few years later, Thompson would get his chance there. Hit after hit — but with compromise At the end of 2015, Thompson joined SM through a deal with its sister publishing company Ekko Music Rights. There, he found a more fitting creative home. Back then, SM's sound was heavily influenced by early '90s R&B, according to Thompson. 'I remember what really sparked my interest was when I discovered SM was working with huge R&B legends and pop writing legends from America such as Teddy Riley and Harvey Mason Jr. — ones that I looked up to,' Thompson said. His first placement at SM was 'Until Today,' a B-side on Taemin's debut solo studio album, 'Press It,' in 2016. That same album included 'Drip Drop,' another track he worked on. 'I started to learn it, specifically SM style. They had a very fusion style (of music) because, at that time, they were the only K-pop company working with Koreans and foreign writers together,' he said. 'I picked that up pretty quickly and then developed that sound with them.' Thompson went on to write some of K-pop's most iconic songs: 'Ko Ko Bop,' 'Tempo' and 'Love Shot' for EXO; 'Fine' for Taeyeon; and tracks for Girls' Generation, Red Velvet, Super Junior and TVXQ. He also helped shape NCT U's debut with 'The 7th Sense,' one of his personal favorites. But not all of his favorites made the cut. 'As a creative person, sometimes your favorite stuff is not what the company wants,' he said. 'Especially when you're working for a company — you've got to give them what they ask for, or what they need.' Launching MZMC and VVS In January 2019, Thompson left Ekko Music Rights to launch MZMC, an independent label and production team with six international songwriters. One of the label's first major projects is VVS, a multinational girl group formed through a global audition in 2020 with members from Korea, Japan and the US. The group officially debuted this month with its first EP, 'D.I.M.M.' 'The reason why I wanted to do my own artist is because I wanted to make stuff I wanted to make. I wanted to make music that I want to hear and like,' Thompson said. He had always wanted to produce a hip-hop, R&B girl group — a concept he believes hasn't been central in K-pop girl groups. He also wanted to do something different with VVS. The group's debut rollout began on April 7 with the '5 C's Debut Trailer,' a 10-part cinematic teaser series introducing the concept and members. The videos featured stylized animations and action-driven visuals, with choreography by Koji Kawamoto, best known for 'John Wick: Chapter 4.' 'I've always loved film and television and I'm an English literature major, so I'm into storytelling. I felt like one thing that used to be a part of K-pop a little bit more was storytelling in idol music.' On the state of K-pop today During his 13 years in Korea, Thompson has witnessed a dramatic evolution of K-pop. He wonders if today's K-pop is chasing global relevance at the cost of its identity. 'I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing,' he said. 'But I don't see a massive group in this new generation yet. When K-pop was just exclusively more Korean, you had legendary groups like BTS, Exo, Blackpink, Twice and Girls' Generation. 'Now, what are the legendary groups that everybody knows their songs? I can think of groups that are big and they sell out arenas and they have strong fandom, but the general public can't name their songs,' Thompson said. 'I think that's what NewJeans brought back ... you could have a fandom, but also the general public knew all the songs and everybody can sing along.' Thompson also worries that in chasing the goal of becoming next BTS or Blackpink, new groups may be losing the very soul that once made K-pop resonate. 'I am interested to see this next generation. Are they catering too much to trying to be the next Blackpink or BTS -- like the western big hit? And are we losing the idea of what K-pop used to be, which I think made bigger artists back in the day,' he said. 'There are more groups. It's more spread out and it's not concentrated, maybe. But where are the iconic groups of the new generation? 'Maybe it has to do with people trying too much to cater to the West or maybe it's just a lull and some of these newer groups are going to end up taking off,' he added. 'I don't know.' jaaykim@
