Katseye’s Manon Bannerman Steps Away From Group, Sparking Fan Outcry and Boycott Calls
Katseye member Manon Bannerman is on a temporary hiatus from the Grammy-nominated group, and fans are demanding answers from Hybe after her social media activity and a cryptic message raised questions about whether the decision was truly voluntary
The Announcement
Katseye shared a statement on the group’s official social media pages Friday announcing Bannerman’s temporary hiatus. “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 statement reads.
The group said it “remains committed to showing up for one another and for the fans who mean everything to us” and that scheduled activities would continue. Notably, no details were provided about how long the hiatus would last, leaving fans without a timeline.
Manon’s Cryptic Message
Shortly after the announcement, Bannerman posted directly to fans on Weverse, the social media platform widely used within the K-pop and Hybe ecosystem.
“Sometimes things unfold in ways we don’t fully control, but I’m trusting the bigger picture,” she wrote Friday. She also assured fans she was “healthy,” “okay,” and “taking care of” herself.
That line — “ways we don’t fully control” — immediately caught the attention of fans parsing every word. The reassurance that she’s healthy, combined with phrasing that suggests limited agency in the decision, has only intensified fan concern about what’s happening behind the scenes.
Why Fans Are Skeptical
Following the announcement, some fans speculated online that the hiatus was not Bannerman’s decision and alleged she was being unfairly targeted by the group’s label, Hybe.
That suspicion didn’t emerge in a vacuum. Bannerman’s social media activity after the announcement has been closely tracked by fans. Screenshots circulated online showing Bannerman liking posts discussing racism faced by Black members of pop groups. She also appeared to follow artists including Normani and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, who have spoken publicly about racism in the music industry.
Bannerman Has Spoken About Race Before
This isn’t the first time questions about race and fairness have surfaced around Bannerman’s experience in Katseye. In February, she addressed criticism regarding her portrayal during the Netflix series Pop Star Academy: Katseye in an interview with The Cut.
“Being called lazy, especially as a Black girl, is not fair,” Bannerman told the outlet. “Now I feel like I always need to put in extra work to prove something, even though I really don’t.”
Those words carry even more weight now for fans who see a pattern in how Bannerman has been discussed, portrayed, and — in their view — treated by the infrastructure around the group. Katseye debuted in 2024 after being formed through a two-year training program and competition series documented on Pop Star Academy: Katseye. The six-member group consists of Bannerman, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Yoonchae Jeung, Sophia Laforteza and Daniela Avanzini.
Industry Voices Weigh In
One of the most talked-about responses came from Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock, who commented under an X post about Bannerman’s hiatus, writing, “We need to protect each other.”
Annabel Iwegbue wrote for Cosmopolitan, “Growing up as a girl group super fan, it felt like the Black members who offered me a semblance of representation were treated like diversity-quota-filling afterthoughts by their management, marketers, and certain fans. This track record is what, to me, made Manon’s role in Katseye feel revolutionary during the group’s nascent era.”
Fans Organize a Boycott
Some fans have called for a boycott of Katseye until Bannerman returns. The calls have been circulating across multiple platforms as fans attempt to use economic and engagement pressure to push for more transparency from Hybe and the group’s management.
How much traction the boycott gains — and whether it prompts any response from the label — remains to be seen. But the organized nature of the pushback reflects how seriously fans are taking the situation.
What Remains Unknown
Significant gaps remain. Katseye has not provided additional details about the length of the hiatus. There has been no direct statement from Hybe addressing the fan allegations. And while Bannerman’s Weverse message and social media activity have been closely analyzed, she has not made further public comment elaborating on the circumstances.
The group received a 2026 Grammy nomination for Best New Artist and has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — milestones that make Bannerman’s absence all the more conspicuous as Katseye continues scheduled activities without her.
BOTTOM LINE: With no timeline for Bannerman’s return, no statement from Hybe addressing fan concerns, and a boycott movement gaining steam, the pressure on Katseye’s label to offer real transparency is only growing.
Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.
