- KATSEYE’s Manon Bannerman announced she will be taking a break from group activities until further notice on Saturday, Feb. 20.
- Manon is taking a “temporary hiatus” from group activities and appearances to “focus on her health and wellbeing.”
- While nothing has been confirmed, fans theorize that HYBE and Geffen are phasing into a permanent departure for Manon.
It’s been an eventful few days for KATSEYE superfans, otherwise known as EYEKONS. The global girl group has made headlines after HYBE and Geffen Records provided fans with an important update via Weverse on Saturday, February 20.
“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,” the official statement read.
They continued, “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 for your continued love, patience, and understanding.”
Manon then took a moment to message fans directly, writing, “I’m healthy, I’m okay, and I’m taking care of myself.”
She added, “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.”
Her personal statement led fans to speculate about the real reason behind her hiatus and whether it might lead to a permanent departure from the band.
“This is not right :( HxG saying that was for ‘health’ but she literally saying that she’s healthy is contradictory,” one fan wrote, while someone else theorized, “And this is the start of a group disbandment.” Someone else pointed out that this wouldn’t be the first time a six-member girl group under HYBE has witnessed an exit from one of its members, citing Le Sserafim and Illit as previous examples.
Another added that it might not be the end of KATSEYE as we know it, saying, “It’s crazy how people are already saying the group will disband just because one member needs a short break for her health. Many groups have gone through much bigger problems and stayed together. This is just them being smart and taking care of each other. Sending love to Manon, come back even stronger!”
According to reports, Manon also raised eyebrows when she quietly liked a social media post detailing the “lone Black girl in girl groups.” Simone, who posted the video, compared her placement in KATSEYE to that of Normani from Fifth Harmony and Leigh-Anne Pinnock from Little Mix, both of whom Manon followed on social media shortly after. Leigh-Anne even addressed this, writing, “We need to protect each other.”
Others pointed out several alleged social media posts from Daniela Avanzini’s dad, who appears to be supporting KATSEYE as a five-member group. It’s unclear whether these posts are fabricated, but fans noted that the comment has since been deleted from a video theorizing Manon’s exit.
Manon, who was scouted by HYBE and Geffen during the casting search for Pop Star Academy, had reportedly already started scaling back her appearances before the February 20 announcement. During the group’s cover story for The Cut, she noticeably missed out on the first portion of their interview as she “texted to let us know she’s not feeling well but will join us later.”
Manon faced major criticism for missing rehearsals during training sessions on Pop Star Academy, and she addressed it head-on during The Cut’s interview. “America has a very different culture when it comes to work-life balance,” she told the outlet. “You guys are all about grind and hustle. In Switzerland, if you’re sick, you take a day off. No one’s going to expect you to work.”
She added, “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.”
Manon, HYBE, and Geffen have yet to address the rumors surrounding a permanent departure from KATSEYE.
