Why Don't We Announces Official Hiatus
Music

Why Don't We Announces Official Hiatus

Update 7/6/22: In a statement posted today to Twitter, Why Don’t We announced that they've cancelled their 2022 Good Times Only Tour, which was set to begin in Tulsa later this month and end in Las Vegas in October. The tour was routed through 44 different cities and scheduled to receive support from alt-pop band The Aces and TikTok sensation Jvke of "this is what falling in love feels like” fame. The cancellation is a result of their legal struggles, and in light of the ongoing battle, Why Don’t We announced that they’d officially be going on hiatus for the time being.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances related to our ongoing legal battle to emancipate ourselves from the production company we signed with when we started our Why Don't We journey, we regretfully have to cancel our 2022 Good Times Only Tour," they wrote, before adding, "All we ever want to do in our careers is make great music and perform for all you lovely people. In light of this announcement Why Don't We is officially going on hiatus." —Payton Dunn

The members of Why Don't We are accusing their management team of "mental, emotional and financial abuse."

On Thursday, Jack Avery, Corbyn Besson, Zach Herron, Jonah Marais and Daniel Seavey issued a statement amid to the ongoing legal battle between current manager, David Loeffler, and former manager, Randy Phillips. Billboard also reports that the boy band is currently petitioning the California Labor Commission to terminate their contract with Loeffler.

In their statement, the band explained that they were initially hesitant to comment on the matter "as we have been so conditioned to do." However, after "[maturing] to the point where we now realize that suffering in silence is no longer an option," they were ready to speak out about the alleged exploitation they suffered at the hands of their management.

According to the Why Don't We's note, they were made to believe the highly restrictive lifestyle implemented by their managers was an industry norm, though they later came to realize that their youth and inexperience — members were 15- to 18-years-old at the time of the group's formation — was being taken advantage of. They then went on to allege that they were placed under constant supervision, subject to verbal abuse and developed eating disorders thanks to a controlled diet.

"We were initially excited to be all living together in the same house, working together on on what we loved most, our music, little did we know we would eventually become prisoners in the 'Why Don't We compound' under the supervision of one of our managers at Signature Entertainment Partners," they said. "He would not only live with us throughout the day, but controlled us 24/7, setting an alarm that would go off if any door or window was opened."

Why Don't We also mentioned that they were also "alienated" from support systems like family and friends, and only had each other to rely on due to their management's "need for extreme domination," even at the expense of their wellbeing.

"This is now playing out on the public stage in a continued attempt to weaponize our love for our music and our fans," the band continued. "We will no longer be silenced and we look forward to finally closing the chapter on this traumatic stage in our lives."

​Neither Loeffler nor Phillips have responded to the statement. In the meantime, you can read what Why Don't We has to say, below.

Photo via Getty / David Crotty / Patrick McMullan