Just a few months after gracing the Grammys stage, KATSEYE's future is unclear. The girl group, whose formation was documented in the Netflix docuseries Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE, shot to global fame last year, with the release of their hit tracks "Gnarly" and "Gabriela." On April 10 and April 17, the group will make their Coachella debut with a primetime slot on the main stage, right before headliner Sabrina Carpenter. However, not all of the members will take part in this monumental achievement.
The day before their set, KATSEYE's label HYBE x Geffen confirmed that Manon Bannerman, the Swiss-Ghanaian eldest member of the group, will not be joining Sophia Laforteza, Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, and Yoonchae Jeung at the festival. In fact, Manon is currently on hiatus from the group—and many fans are wondering when, and if, the singer will return. Read on for everything to know about Manon's uncertain future with KATSEYE below.
What happened to Manon in KATSEYE?
On February 20, 2026, HYBE announced that Manon would begin a temporary hiatus from KATSEYE due to health reasons. The full statement reads: "After open and thoughtful conversations together, we are sharing that Manon will be taking a temporary hiatus from group activities to focus on her health and wellbeing. We fully support this decision. KATSEYE remains committed to showing up for one another and for the fans who mean everything to us. The group will continue scheduled activities during this time, and we look forward to being together again when the time is right. Thank you to our EYEKONS [Katseye's fanbase] for your continued love, patience, and understanding."
Later that day, Manon shared a personal message on the social media platform Weverse. "Hi friends. I want you to hear this from me. I’m healthy, I’m okay, and I’m taking care of myself. Thank u for checking in!" she wrote. "Sometimes things unfold in ways we don’t fully control, but I’m trusting the bigger picture. Thank you for standing by me. I love you endlessly and can’t wait to see you again."
Fan speculation about Manon's potential departure from KATSEYE rose in the first days of April, when the 23-year-old removed mention of the group from her Instagram bio. According to Teen Vogue, on April 2, Manon also posted a second message on Weverse, thanking fans for their continued support.
"Thank you so much for all the love and support you've been sending my way," she wrote. "I'm really grateful for the patience and kindness everyone has shown during this time. HxG [HYBE and Geffen Records] and I are having positive conversations and I feel supported. I'm happy and I'm healthy. I'll share more soon. Thank you for always being there for me."
Coincidentally, April 2 was the same day that HYBE released the first music-video teaser for KATSEYE's latest single, "Pinky Up." The full music video for "Pinky Up" dropped on April 9, and Manon is missing from both the video and the studio recording of the track. This is despite a rehearsal clip leaked online in late March, which showed Manon practicing the single's choreography with the rest of the group.
Finally, on April 9, HYBE also confirmed that Manon would not be performing at Coachella with KATSEYE. The company confirmed to The Korea Herald, "Manon remains on hiatus."
Is Manon leaving KATSEYE?
As of April 10, Manon is still on a temporary hiatus from KATSEYE. Neither she nor HYBE x Geffen has given any hint of when the hiatus will conclude.
Her bandmates, however, have spoken out. Ahead of Coachella, Sophia, Daniela, Lara, Megan, and Yoonchae discussed Manon's absence during an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. "Manon has been on hiatus, and we love her so much! We know she’s doing well, and she got to talk to the fans about it. We’re just really excited and rooting for all of us and each other," Sophia said. "You know, we’ve gotten through so much together, so at the end of the day, we all just want each other to win, be okay, and feel good."
Lara added, "I also want to say that she’s our sister forever, and we love her so much! We built this together, so we want to give her all the space, whatever she needs."
Fan speculation has continued in the hours leading up to KATSEYE's Coachella debut, with some fans calling for a boycott of the group until they receive transparency regarding the sudden hiatus. Manon's alleged treatment has also reignited discussion about the plight of Black girl group members, who often face rampant racist criticism, as well as the "twice as good" mentality that Black women face in the workplace. In KATSEYE's February 2026 interview with The Cut, Manon notably addressed criticism she received from both fans and future members during Pop Star Academy, due to her reputation for missing rehearsals due to illness.
"It’s the way I grew up. America has a very different culture when it comes to work-life balance. You guys are all about grind and hustle," she said. "In Switzerland, if you’re sick, you take a day off. No one’s going to expect you to work."
She continued, "Being called lazy, especially as a Black girl, is not fair. Now I feel like I always need to put in extra work to prove something, even though I really don’t."
At the end of the interview, which took place before her hiatus was announced, Manon expressed her hopes for the group's longevity. "When One Direction split, that was really hard,” she recalled. "I don’t want our fans to go through that. I don’t want to be responsible for breaking so many hearts....KATSEYE is going to stay KATSEYE for a while."
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