KATSEYE star Manon Bannerman will return to the embattled girl group after shock hiatus and racism scandal

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Manon Bannerman, a member of the group KATSEYE, will rejoin her bandmates after taking a six-week break, according to her record label.

Hybe, the company behind the globally popular girl group created with Geffen Records, has confirmed to The Korea Herald that Bannerman will perform with the group at Coachella on April 11th.

However, her overall future with the group remains unclear.

As a huge Bannerman fan, I was really surprised this week when she took ‘KATSEYE’ off her Instagram bio! It immediately got everyone wondering if she’s officially stepping away, and honestly, it’s been a bit worrying ever since.

On Thursday, the 23-year-old shared an update on the WeVerse app, saying she’s still discussing her future plans with Hybe and Geffen Records.

‘Thank you so much for all the love and support you’ve been sending my way,’ she wrote to fans.

Oh my gosh, you guys have been SO amazing and understanding lately, it means the world to me! I’m getting really good vibes from everything happening with HxG and I honestly feel so supported by all of you. I’m genuinely happy and doing well, and I promise I’ll fill you in with more details soon. Seriously, thank you for always being in my corner – I don’t know what I’d do without you!

With Bannerman’s position uncertain, the other five members of KATSEYE are continuing their work without her.

The group released a short preview of their new music video for the song ‘Pinky Up’ on Thursday. This is their first release since Bannerman left the group.

In February, KATSEYE shared that Bannerman was taking a break from the popular group to prioritize her health.

I’m absolutely devastated she left! Honestly, the whole fandom is in an uproar. It’s like, everyone’s convinced there’s more to the story, and a lot of us are saying it has to be about race. It just doesn’t make sense otherwise, and we’re all desperately trying to figure out what really happened. It’s crazy!

The situation escalated when Bannerman reacted to an Instagram post by Simply Simone, a pop culture commentator, who said Bannerman was facing intense and unfair criticism because of her race.

The post also said that Black members of mixed-race girl groups are often victims of racism.

Bannerman is Ghanaian on her father’s side and Swiss-Italian on her mother’s side. 

She’s the only Black member of KATSEYE, an international girl group with members from countries like the Philippines, South Korea, and India.

Bannerman added to the confusion by disagreeing with a statement released by her record label, Hybe, regarding her break from activities.

Although the official announcement stated Bannerman was taking a break to prioritize her health, the singer personally used the WeVerse app to assure fans she was doing well.

Bannerman assured her fans that she is doing well, stating, ‘I’m healthy, okay, and taking good care of myself.’

Thanks for reaching out! Things haven’t gone exactly as planned, but I’m staying positive and believing everything will work out. I really appreciate your support, and I love you so much. I’m looking forward to seeing you soon.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m seeing a lot of buzz around Bannerman, and it’s easy to see why! Some really fantastic artists, like SZA and Chloe Bailey, are already fans and publicly supporting the brand. It’s always exciting when people we admire get behind something new!

Normani from Fifth Harmony, Leigh-Anne Pinnock from Little Mix, and Melody Thornton from the Pussycat Dolls – the only Black women in those groups – have all publicly supported Bannerman online.

Fans of the group KATSEYE are currently debating racism within the group online. Some are supporting Manon, while others believe other members, including Indian-descent Lara Raj, have also experienced racism.

KATSEYE was created on the reality TV show The Debut: Dream Academy, a collaboration between the South Korean company Hybe and the American record label Geffen Records.

This group was formed as an international take on the popular K-pop model, with members from around the world. They were trained and styled like a typical K-pop group, but specifically chosen for their English skills and ability to connect with diverse audiences globally.

The final lineup includes six members: 23-year-old Sophia Laforteza from the Philippines, 18-year-old Yoonchae Jeung from South Korea, 20-year-old Megan Skiendiel (Chinese-Singaporean American), 21-year-old Daniela Avanzini (Cuban-Venezuelan American), 20-year-old Raj (Indian-American), and Bannerman (Swiss-Ghanaian).

Every member of KATSEYE had prior experience in singing or dancing, except for Bannerman, who was a model. Because of this, the judges frequently placed her last, as the other members had more performance experience.

In addition, she faced accusations of frequently skipping practice and rehearsals, a detail that was featured on the group’s Netflix reality show, Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE.

The group launched in 2024 and quickly gained popularity with their 2025 single, “Gnarly.” The song became a worldwide success, topping charts in the US, UK, Australia, and throughout Asia.

The group’s success continued with the popular song “Gabriela,” which climbed to number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned them a second Grammy nomination.

Outside of music, KATSEYE have racked up major brand deals with Fendi, Coach, Laneige, and Gap.

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2026-04-03 20:52