A member of Korean-American girl group VCHA is suing her record label for alleged ‘abuse and mistreatment.’
Keira Grace Madder, 17, better known by her stage name ‘KG Crown,’ announced her departure from the group over the weekend by filing a lawsuit against her label, JYP USA, which is a subsidiary of the South Korean entertainment company JYP Entertainment.
The suit makes a number of explosive allegations against the label, claiming that KG suffered from child labor exploitation, unfair business practices, and food and water restrictions, according to Forbes.Â
The Los Angeles-based singer also alleges physical and emotional distress and says that she was put in ‘an environment that encourages eating disorders and has caused [VCHA] members to self-harm.’
One of the most shocking allegations in the lawsuit was that one of the members had attempted suicide.Â
She also claimed that she worked more than 12 hours a day for just $500 per week, which is below California’s minimum wage, and that she was put into over $500,000 of ‘trainee debt’ with JYP USA.
Other allegations included rigorous rehearsals that resulted in injuries, as well as being pressured to rehearse while sick and being denied water on occasion.
The group were also allegedly watched on surveillance cameras to monitor their food intake and were fed small salads and sometimes denied food to ensure that they didn’t gain weight.
Keira Grace Madder of Korean-American girl group VCHA is suing her record label JYP USA for alleged ‘abuse and mistreatment’
VCHA were formed by JYP Entertainment as the first American girl group to be created using the South Korean K-pop training system
‘I filed a lawsuit because I have decided to terminate my contract with JYP Entertainment and exit VCHA after experiencing incidents of abuse and mistreatment by certain staff members,’ KG wrote on her Instagram on December 7.
‘I feel it was not a good environment for my mental health and apologize if my leave disappoints any of you. I am not in support of the working and living conditions that led a member to attempt suicide. Nor do I support an environment that encourages eating disorders and has caused members to self-harm,’ she continued.
‘I am worried for the girls who remain in VCHA, my friends, who I truly love and care for. I also realized if I remain at JYP Entertainment, I am not able to become the artist l aspire to be, as I really enjoy songwriting and production. I have accumulated a massive amount of company debt, while being paid very little for the intense work and extreme limitations on our personal lives.’
Despite the damning lawsuit, KG also thanked JYP Entertainment’s founder and CEOÂ J.Y Park in her statement.
‘I’d like to thank J.Y Park, company executives, and staff for believing in me and the exceptional training. I do not blame anyone for the treatment endured, but feel this is an issue that lies deep embedded in the K-Pop industry,’ she said.
JYP USA responded to the lawsuit, saying that it contained ‘false and exaggerated claims’ in an official statement.Â
They also said that KG’s lawsuit had ’caused significant harm’ to the other members of VCHA.Â
‘JYP USA will take all necessary measures to ensure that neither the other members of VCHA nor JYP USA suffer further harm as a result of this matter,’ they added.
The suit makes a number of explosive allegations against the label, claiming that KG suffered from child labor exploitation, unfair business practices, food and water restrictions and more
VCHAÂ officially debuted in January with the single ‘Girls of the Year’ and went on tour as the opening act for top-selling K-pop group TWICE
KG then responded to the statement, saying that she was ‘very disappointed in the company’s lack of accountability.’
She added, ‘My legal team and I are fully prepared with photographic and physical evidence to prove my allegations are factual, not “exaggerated” nor “false.”‘
JYP Entertainment is one of the most successful and iconic companies in South Korea.
Their artists include the legendary girl groups Wonder Girls, TWICE, Miss A, and Itzy, and the chart-topping boy band Stray Kids.
Wonder Girls hold the distinction of the first ever South Korean artist to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, while Stray Kids have racked up five No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200.
In 2023, JYP Entertainment partnered with Republic Records for the American reality TV competition series A2K, which aimed to create the first American girl group using the K-pop training system.
That group ultimately became Vcha, consisting of members KG, Camila, Lexi, Kendall, Savanna, and Kaylee.
The group officially debuted in January with the single ‘Girls of the Year’ and went on tour as the opening act for TWICE.
The song did not do well on the charts, missing the top 100 in South Korea and failing to make a dent in the US.
DailyMail.com has reached out to JYP Entertainment for comment.
