Photo: Michael Tullberg / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
On Friday (February 20), HYBE and Geffen Records announced that KATSEYE member Manon Bannerman would be stepping away from group activities to “focus on her health and wellbeing.” The label said it “fully support[s] this decision” and confirmed the six-member group will continue scheduled activities during her absence.
Manon addressed fans directly on Weverse shortly after.
“I’m healthy, I’m okay, and I’m taking care of myself,” she wrote. “Sometimes things unfold in ways we don’t fully control, but I’m trusting the bigger picture.”
That phrasing — particularly “things unfold in ways we don’t fully control” — has fueled speculation about what led to the hiatus and whether it will be temporary. HYBE and Geffen have not provided additional details.
But for many Black fans, the reaction isn’t just about corporate transparency. It’s about history.
Manon, 23, is the only Black member of KATSEYE. Of Ghanaian and Swiss-Italian heritage, she has spoken openly about what representation means to her, recalling the impact of seeing young Black girls point to her on screen and say, “I love her.”
In the days following the announcement, Manon briefly liked — and later unliked — a social media post from creator Simone Umba that described her situation as part of a larger pattern of Black women in girl groups facing racism and mistreatment. Screenshots of the interaction circulated widely online, further intensifying the discussion.
That conversation is not new. It has been documented by the artists themselves.
Leigh-Anne Pinnock of Little Mix detailed her experience in the 2021 BBC documentary Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop & Power, describing feeling invisible within the group and pressured to work “ten times harder” than her white bandmates. Normani of Fifth Harmony left Twitter in 2016 after enduring intense racist harassment, later speaking about the isolation that came with being the only Black member of a global girl group. Even in the '90s, Spice Girls member Mel B spoke about racially charged media narratives that set her apart from her bandmates.
Manon has also addressed racially coded criticism. In an interview with The Cut, she spoke about being labeled “lazy,” noting the specific weight that stereotype carries for Black women. “Being called lazy, especially as a Black girl, is not fair,” she said, adding that it made her feel pressure to constantly prove herself.
In recent weeks, fans have circulated videos and screenshots they say show Manon positioned in the back during performances or absent from certain promotional moments. Others have referenced unverified screenshots of an alleged internal document suggesting lineup changes. Neither HYBE nor Geffen have confirmed any such document, and there is no official indication that Manon has left the group.
What is confirmed is that she is on hiatus, and that KATSEYE continues as five members for now.
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