A member of the 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 their label, JYP USA, which is a subsidiary of the South Korean entertainment company. JYP Entertainment.
The lawsuit makes a series of explosive allegations against the brand, claiming that KG suffered child labor exploitation, unfair trade practices, and food and water restrictions, according to Forbes.
The Los Angeles-based singer also alleges physical and emotional distress, saying 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.
He also claimed that he worked more than 12 hours a day for only $500 a week, which is below California’s minimum wage, and that he owed more than $500,000 in “trainee debt” to JYP USA.
Other allegations included rigorous rehearsals resulting in injuries, as well as being pressured to rehearse while sick and sometimes being denied water.
The group were also allegedly monitored by surveillance cameras to monitor their food intake and were fed small salads and sometimes denied food to ensure they did not gain weight.
Keira Grace Madder of Korean-American girl group VCHA is suing her record label JYP USA for alleged “abuse and mistreatment”
VCHA was formed by JYP Entertainment as the first American girl group created using the South Korean K-pop training system.
“I filed a lawsuit because I decided to terminate my contract with JYP Entertainment and leave VCHA after experiencing incidents of abuse and mistreatment from certain staff members,” KG wrote on his Instagram on December 7.
‘I feel it was not a good environment for my mental health and I apologize if my departure disappoints any of you. I do not support the living and working conditions that led one member to attempt suicide. “I also do not support an environment that encourages eating disorders and has caused members to self-harm,” she continued.
‘I’m worried about the girls who remain at VCHA, my friends, who I really love and care for. I also realized that if I stay at JYP Entertainment, I won’t be able to become the artist I aspire to be, since I really enjoy writing songs and producing. I have accumulated a huge debt with the company and am paid very little for the intense work and extreme limitations of our personal life.’
Despite the damning lawsuit, KG also thanked JYP Entertainment founder and CEO JY Park in his statement.
‘I would like to thank JY Park, company executives and staff for believing in me and the exceptional training. “I don’t blame anyone for the treatment, but I feel like this is a deep-rooted problem in the K-Pop industry,” he said.
JYP USA responded to the lawsuit, saying it contained “false and exaggerated claims” in an official statement.
They also said KG’s lawsuit had “caused significant harm” to other VCHA members.
“JYP USA will take all necessary measures to ensure that neither the other VCHA members nor JYP USA suffer any further harm as a result of this matter,” they added.
The lawsuit makes a series of explosive allegations against the brand, claiming that KG suffered child labor exploitation, unfair trade practices, food and water restrictions, and more.
VCHA officially debuted in January with the single ‘Girls of the Year’ and went on tour as the opening act for the best-selling K-pop group, TWICE.
KG then responded to the statement by saying she was “very disappointed in the company’s lack of accountability.”
He added: “My legal team and I are fully prepared with photographic and physical evidence to demonstrate that my allegations are factual, not “exaggerated” or “false.”
JYP Entertainment is one of the most successful and iconic companies in South Korea.
Its artists include legendary girl groups Wonder Girls, TWICE, Miss A and Itzy, and chart-topping boy band Stray Kids.
Wonder Girls have the distinction of being the first South Korean artist to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, while Stray Kids have accumulated five number-one albums on the Billboard 200.
In 2023, JYP Entertainment partnered with Republic Records for the American reality competition series A2K, which aimed to create the first American girl group to use the K-pop training system.
That group eventually 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 opening for TWICE.
The song did not do well on the charts, failing to reach the top 100 in South Korea and failing to gain a foothold in the United States.
DailyMail.com has contacted JYP Entertainment for comment.