Katseye’s Manon Bannerman Steps Away From the Group — and Fans Want Answers From Hybe
The Katseye fandom is in crisis mode. Since the Grammy-nominated group announced Friday that member Manon Bannerman would be stepping away from group activities, fans have been piecing together social media activity, rallying boycott efforts, and demanding transparency from Hybe.
Bannerman herself has posted a message that’s raising more questions than it answers — and artists outside the group are weighing in.
The Official Statement
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. “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.”
The statement did not provide any details about how long the hiatus would last. Katseye has not offered additional information about the expected length of Bannerman’s absence.
What Manon Said on Weverse
Shortly after the official announcement, Bannerman posted a message 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.
That line — “ways we don’t fully control” — immediately caught the attention of fans parsing every word. She also assured fans she was “healthy,” “okay,” and “taking care of” herself.
The reassurance that she’s healthy, combined with phrasing that suggests limited agency in the decision, has intensified fan concern about what’s happening behind the scenes.
Why Fans Are Questioning the ‘Voluntary’ Narrative
Following the announcement, some fans speculated online that the hiatus was not Bannerman’s decision and alleged she was being unfairly targeted by Hybe.
That suspicion didn’t emerge in a vacuum. Bannerman’s social media activity after the announcement has been closely tracked. 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.
For fans already attuned to patterns of how Black artists are treated in pop groups — particularly in label-driven environments — those follows and likes read as significant, even if Bannerman hasn’t made an explicit public statement beyond her Weverse post.
Bannerman’s Own Words
Questions about race and fairness have surfaced around Bannerman’s experience before. 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.”
Industry Voices Are Speaking Up
One of the most talked-about responses came from Pinnock of Little Mix, 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.”
The Fan Boycott Movement
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.
Whether the boycott effort gains traction — and whether it prompts any response from the label — remains to be seen.
What We Still Don’t Know
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 of her departure from group activities.
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.
For now, fans are watching, organizing and waiting — with no clear answers in sight.
Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.
