Former teen member of L.A. K-pop group sues management, alleging abuse and exploitation

Something astir K-pop ever captivated Kiera Grace Madder. The 17-year-old vocalist has been a instrumentality of the synchronized choreography, fashion-forward outfits and unsocial dependable coming retired of South Korea for arsenic agelong arsenic she could remember.

So successful 2022, erstwhile she learned JYP Entertainment, 1 of the biggest K-pop endowment agencies, had plans to marque a radical with North American-based talent, she jumped astatine the opportunity. She auditioned for a world amusement and earned her spot successful an all-girl radical called VCHA, with 5 different teens.

But past summer, little than a twelvemonth aft officially debuting, the radical pulled retired of Lollapalooza and astir went vigor soundless connected societal media. In a suit filed past December against JYP USA successful L.A. County Superior Court, Madder, who goes by the signifier sanction KG Crown, revealed she had near VCHA and alleged kid labour instrumentality violations, maltreatment and exploitation.

“I knew the K-pop strategy was precise hardworking — astir apt 1 of the astir hardworking systems successful the euphony industry,” Madder told The Times. “I’m a hard worker, truthful I was consenting to enactment successful immoderate hard work, but I did not cognize astir what tin spell connected down closed doors.”

JYP USA issued a connection connected societal media erstwhile the suit was filed, claiming Madder had made “unilateral nationalist statements containing mendacious and exaggerated claims.”

The bureau declined to remark further successful effect to questions from The Times, citing the “ongoing ineligible matter.”

Madder, identified arsenic “K.M.” successful the tribunal documents, said she signed her declaration with JYP astatine property 15.

VCHA began an aggravated grooming regimen, traveling betwixt JYP’s Seoul office and Los Angeles to rehearse. In L.A., the six girls shared a $2.5-million Beverly Hills mansion, wherever Madder alleges they were nether changeless surveillance. According to the lawsuit, staying successful the location was “optional,” but Madder said she felt pressured to unrecorded determination by the JYP staff.

In summation to a live-in staffer who monitored the girls, Madder says video cameras watched and recorded their backstage conversations. The suit claims the institution presented the cameras arsenic a portion of the “house’s alarm system” erstwhile they were installed.

According to Madder’s lawsuit, the surveillance strategy was a “tool aimed astatine controlling our eating, movements, and behavior.”

If Madder is capable to get released from her declaration with JYP, she said, she volition travel backmost arsenic a solo creator erstwhile she feels “better mentally.”

JYP allegedly maintained afloat power implicit the trainees’ schedules, adjacent connected days off. In bid to permission the home, the radical members had to taxable their plans up of clip and get approval, Madder’s suit alleges. She says she adjacent had to inquire support to spot her parent connected the weekends.

“I honestly felt similar it was a situation and the location unit was the situation guard,” Madder said. “I felt similar JYP had go my parent, but the strictest genitor I ever lived with.”

Madder’s suit alleges the institution “controlled [her] fare and pressured [her] to devour less.” Their meals were “restricted to tiny salads,” she alleged, and their value was monitored.

“The skinnier you are, the much respected and prettier you’re viewed. It’s ridiculous,” Madder said. “At times, successful South Korea, they would archer us, ‘Lose value oregon you’re going to regret the mode you look connected camera.’”

In grooming for performances, JYP allegedly pushed the VCHA girls to their carnal limits. In the lawsuit, Madder recalls being denied repast breaks and h2o during rehearsal, and alleges she was forced to enactment agelong days connected small sleep. As recounted successful the lawsuit, Madder’s days would typically statesman astatine 7 a.m. with a fewer hours of school, followed by rehearsals that started astatine 10:30 a.m. and went into the precocious hours of the night.

Madder alleges determination were respective instances successful which she had to proceed grooming aft suffering injuries. The suit describes a creation teacher who “singled” Madder out, making her repetition a determination much than a 100 times without stopping for a break, which allegedly caused a tendon teardrop successful her shoulder.

“I had tears successful my eyes and was precise stressed,” she recalled. “It’s 1 of those situations wherever you don’t person to escalate it to the constituent of abuse.”

She was besides forced to rehearse contempt suffering injuries to her hep and leg, her suit claims. The tribunal filings see photos of her successful infirmary gowns and receipts for aesculapian treatments, on with images of bruises that she said she sustained during creation training. Screenshots of substance messages included successful the suit amusement that Madder described being forced to “dance thru the pain.”

In different substance speech from past May included successful the suit, she wrote, “Honestly I consciousness similar I don’t [have] a property anymore oregon americium my ain person. They changed maine and I mislaid each my good.”

According to the lawsuit, Madder started to miss schoolhouse arsenic the accent from grooming piled up. She says different members of the radical developed eating disorders, engaged successful self-harm and, successful February of past year, 1 of them attempted suicide.

Madder said she has not spoken to chap VCHA members since her departure from the radical successful May 2024.

Madder accuses JYP of underpaying her and failing to present promised royalties and a stock of the gross from the group. The suit alleges she received $500 during weeks successful which she worked implicit 12-hour days, which falls beneath California’s minimum wage.

Madder’s suit besides says she is saddled with much than $500,000 successful indebtedness to JYP for “company expenses.”

She alleges successful her suit that she was “forced to motion contracts portion being fixed lone a fewer minutes to reappraisal them,” including ones that were written successful Korean, a connection Madder doesn’t speak.

Her mother, Tracey Madder, said successful a connection to The Times that filing the suit “was 100 percent KG’s decision, which I afloat enactment owed to the circumstances she experienced.”

“I americium hopeful for the champion imaginable result for each parties involved,” she said.

The younger Madder said she hasn’t been capable to work, merchandise euphony oregon station connected societal media since leaving VCHA.

When she archetypal got location aft leaving the JYP mansion, she says, she felt “brainwashed” and similar she “would ne'er beryllium capable to marque it successful the euphony manufacture again.”

The adjacent tribunal proceeding successful her suit is acceptable for June 20.

“I’m praying that the justice tin spot the airy successful the concern and fto maine go,” Madder said. “I don’t privation clout. I don’t privation attention. I privation to beryllium free. That’s what I privation — freedom.”