Katseye's Rocky 2026: Hiatuses, Backlash & Identity Debates

Katseye was introduced to the world as a fairy tale: six young women from four continents, a Netflix documentary, and the combined backing of HYBE and Geffen Records. Three years later, the group is down to four active members, has weathered repeated identity controversies, and is still fielding questions from fans who feel the full story hasn't been told. Here's a fact-checked look at how Katseye got here.

Built on a Competition Show

Before Katseye existed, there was The Debut: Dream Academy, a survival competition created by HYBE and Geffen Records that ran from August to November 2023. Out of roughly 120,000 applicants, 20 finalists were narrowed down over a 12-week season of singing and dancing missions, with the public voting members in and out week to week. The show ended with the reveal of the final six: Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, and Megan Skiendiel from the US, Yoonchae Jeung from South Korea, Sophia Laforteza from the Philippines, and Manon Bannerman from Switzerland. Their formation was later documented in the Netflix series Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE.

The group debuted in June 2024 with the single "Debut," followed by their first EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong), and quickly built a global fanbase known as EYEKONS.

A High Point at the Grammys, Then a Hiatus

Katseye's momentum peaked in early 2026: the group earned two Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist, and performed at the ceremony on February 1. Weeks later, on February 20, 2026, HYBE and Geffen announced that Manon Bannerman would be taking a "temporary hiatus from group activities to focus on her health and wellbeing." No further details were given, and Manon herself posted a brief message thanking fans for their support.

                           

Manon did not appear in the group's next single, "Pinky Up," or its accompanying rollout, and she quietly removed Katseye from her Instagram bio in April 2026. She skipped the group's Coachella performances that year, though she made a surprise, unofficial appearance as a guest during Pink Pantheress's Coachella set — a moment fans read multiple ways, since neither Manon nor the label addressed it directly. As of mid-2026, Katseye has continued describing her hiatus as temporary, with member Sophia Laforteza telling press it wasn't the group's place to speculate about when she might return.

In August 2026, the group faced a second setback: Sophia Laforteza announced her own temporary hiatus for mental health reasons, leaving Katseye operating as a four-member group — Daniela, Lara, Megan, and Yoonchae — for the release of their third EP, WILD.

The Identity Debates

Katseye's members have repeatedly found themselves at the center of public debates over racial and ethnic identity, a recurring theme for a group explicitly built around global diversity. Daniela Avanzini, who has Venezuelan and Cuban heritage, faced backlash after posting a message praising Bad Bunny's historic Grammy win for Album of the Year, in which she described herself as a daughter of Latino immigrants. Critics questioned whether she should identify as Latina given her lighter complexion, reviving scrutiny that had followed her since her Dream Academy days. Commentators have pointed out the inconsistency in how the internet scrutinizes some public figures' Latin identity while embracing others making similar claims.

Manon's hiatus similarly became entangled in conversations about race, after some fans and commentators pointed to a pattern of Black members in global pop groups facing disproportionate criticism and pressure compared to their groupmates. Separately, Yoonchae — who joined the group as a teenager with limited English fluency — faced friction with fellow member Megan that was widely attributed at the time to the language barrier between them, rather than any deeper conflict.

Death Threats and a Muted Label Response

As Katseye's fame grew, so did targeted harassment toward individual members. In a November 2025 interview, the group said they had collectively received thousands of death threats since debuting. Manon has said she was targeted especially often. HYBE and Geffen's public responses to the harassment have generally been brief statements of support without naming specific members or addressing consequences for those making threats — a pattern critics argue reflects a broader industry habit of prioritizing brand image over individual members' safety.

A Familiar Pattern in Global Pop

Katseye's struggles echo what other multinational girl groups have faced in recent years, from NewJeans' public dispute with their label to LE SSERAFIM's early exposure to online harassment. Each case involves the same underlying tension: labels marketing individual young performers as a unified, polished brand, while the people behind that brand absorb the pressure, scrutiny, and backlash largely on their own.

Katseye's music career hasn't stalled — the group continues to release new material and tour as a smaller lineup — but the last year has made clear that the fairy tale framing from their debut left out most of what young performers actually go through once the cameras are rolling.

 WATCH NEXT: To understand the systemic pressure and controversies shaping the group’s trajectory, check out the deep-dive video "Why HYBE and Geffen's KATSEYE Was Setup to Face Backlash".