When the girl group KATSEYE announced a world tour last month, a familiar face was noticeably absent from the promotional poster.
The pop band, once six-strong, had been whittled down to just five following the bombshell news of member Manon Bannerman’s hiatus – a move that shattered fans’ perceptions of the apparently tight-knit group.
Certainly, it was all a far cry from an Instagram shared by Bannerman back in December, in which the 23-year-old had gushed over her bandmates, writing how she lives in ‘disbelief’ that they all get to fulfill their dreams together, signing off with ‘Kats forever.’
Two months later, however, it was announced that Swiss-born Bannerman – the only black member of KATSEYE – had stepped back for her ‘health and wellbeing.’ The secrecy of her hiatus sparked widespread backlash from the group’s fiercely loyal fandom, who even speculated that racism may be at play.
And it has only gotten worse. For what was initially sold as a temporary break has now snowballed into a four-month absence by Bannerman from the group’s various headline performances, including at Coachella music festival in April and Governor’s Ball in New York City earlier this month. And, if the poster is anything to go by, it seems she will also be missing from their sold-out Wildworld tour, which is slated to kickoff in September.
Indeed, as Bannerman keeps out the spotlight, KATSEYE has forged ahead as a quintet with record-breaking success, as an inside source tells the Daily Mail that the group seems to be moving on without her.
In February, it was announced that Bannerman (front row, center) had stepped back for her ‘health and wellbeing’
Bannerman was missing from KATSEYE’s tour poster
‘What was and has been originally described as a temporary break has increasingly started to feel like something much bigger,’ the insider said.
‘The other girls have said behind the scenes that Manon wasn’t putting in the same level of effort as everyone else. Whether that’s entirely fair or not, those feelings have created tension and have strained the bond they once shared.’
KATSEYE – marketed as the world’s first ‘global girl group’ given that their members hail from the Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States – rose to prominence in 2024 after forming on the reality competition show, The Debut: Dream Academy, created by South Korean record label Hybe and American label Geffen Records.
Comprised of members Daniela Avanzini, 21; Yoonchae Jeung, 18; Sophia Laforteza, 23; Lara Raj, 20; and Megan Skiendiel, 20, in addition to Bannerman, KATSEYE has fast taken the world by storm.
In February this year, they performed their hit song ‘Gnarly’ at the Grammy Awards and earned two nominations – Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
Then, Bannerman’s hiatus was announced. While originally intended ‘to give everyone some breathing room’ and to reset the ‘mood’ of the group, it has now backfired as KATSEYE have ‘found a new rhythm’ without Bannerman, according to our source.
‘They got back on track, the chemistry improved, and they became more comfortable operating as they are now. Which now makes it look like there isn’t much urgency or interest in bringing Manon back into the fold,’ the source said.
In April, KATSEYE took the stage for a smashing set at Coachella, scoring the most-streamed performance during the first weekend of the festival. Then, at the American Music Awards in May, they delivered a lively performance of their hit ‘Pinky Up’ and took home three awards, including New Artist of the Year.
They’ve now been added to the lineup of Olivia Rodrigo‘s all-female Daisy Chain Fields music festival, which will take place in Irvine, California in August.
‘Pinky Up’ marked their first single without Bannerman and reached No 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song’s music video has over 57 million views on YouTube and on Spotify it has been streamed more than 141 million times. It’s also the longest-charting song on the Hot 100 from a female group this year.
An EP titled ‘Wild’ is slated for release on August 14, with the record already becoming one of Spotify’s most pre-saved albums.
KATSEYE is comprised of Lara Raj, Sophia Laforteza, Megan Skiendiel, Daniela Avanzini and Yoonchae Jeung, in addition to Bannerman
Bannerman has since removed KATSEYE from her Instagram bio
Meanwhile, Bannerman’s social media activity has only fueled the feud rumors.
She recently ‘liked’ an Instagram post from pop culture commentator Simply Simone, who had claimed Bannerman was the victim of ‘abhorrent hate’ due to her skin color. The post also claimed that black members of mixed-race girl groups are often victims of racism.
In another post of her own, Bannerman this week shared a picture of a friend who was traveling with her on a plane and holding her pinky finger upwards at an angle. Some fans thought it a not-too-subtle dig at KATSEYE’s new ‘Pinky Up’ hit.
‘Not you trying to shade Katseye with that pinky up,’ one follower wrote.
More confusing still, while the group’s record label Hybe have said that Bannerman has been on hiatus for recuperation, the singer herself has taken to the social media app WeVerse to insist that she is in fine health.
‘I want you to hear this from me, I’m healthy, I’m okay, and I’m taking care of myself,’ Manon wrote.
‘Thank u for checking in! 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.’
Back on Instagram, where she has over 6 million followers, Bannerman has also since removed a reference to KATSEYE from her bio, sparking fears that she may be leaving for good.
The five remaining members of KATSEYE, however, have appeared keen to put on a united front.
While in Australia last month, they took a sisterly trip to the zoo together, sharing photos snuggled up to stuffed koala toys.
And just this past weekend, fan videos appeared to show them all enjoying a night out at Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine tour in Los Angeles.
But if they had hoped to quell any talk of discord, the illusion seemed to be shattered when it later emerged that Bannerman had also been at the same concert – only she was seated separately from her fellow bandmates and was instead with other friends, including musician The Kid LAROI.
KATSEYE, pictured performing in Las Vegas last month, have gone on to book gigs and put out new music without Bannerman
As Bannerman continues to recuperate in private, KATSEYE has forged ahead as a quintet with record-breaking success
But, one source told the Daily Mail that all parties seem ‘happy’ to move forward in this new dynamic.
‘All the girls understand that groups like this rarely last forever. Eventually, everyone starts thinking about solo projects and what comes next,’ the source said.
‘Right now, moving forward without Manon seems to be the direction everyone has accepted and is happy with. They can say they’ll always be sisters, and maybe on some level that’s true. But as more time passes and the distance continues to grow, a reunion feels less and less likely.’
Another source close to Bannerman, however, insisted she ‘does not want to leave the band’ and remains frustrated with how she was presented on Netflix’s reality show Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE, a behind-the-scenes documentary series that followed the original TV competition process to create the group.
On the Netflix show, while other bandmates boasted backgrounds in either singing or dancing before joining KATSEYE, Bannerman had only worked as a model. As a result, she was often shown being ranked last by the show’s judges. She was also accused of regularly missing rehearsals.
While she is ‘aware of the criticism,’ the source close to Bannerman insisted she is also ‘the member who is most in touch with what the audience wants because of her background as an influencer.’
She simply ‘took the break to work out what she wanted to do next,’ the source added.
When pressed about Bannerman in an interview on The Zane Lowe show in April, the other women of KATSEYE had nothing but kind words for their absent bandmate.
‘At the end of the day, we just all want each other to win. And to be good,’ Laforteza said.
‘I think we also want to say like she’s our sister forever… So we just want to give her all the space and love she needs right now,’ Raj added.
But while KATSEYE seem to be dancing around the topic, one insider put it more bluntly.
‘They will have to address it soon and before they go out on tour,’ the source said. ‘They all need to move forward for the benefit of all of them and their fans.’
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for KATSEYE and Bannerman for comment.
