KATSEYE have finally said out loud what fans have been asking since February. Speaking to Vanity Fair, the group's five active members shut down the theory that Manon Bannerman's hiatus had anything to do with her being the only Black member. 'We can definitely say that in our situation, in no way was it about race', said leader Sophia Laforteza. 'That goes against everything that we stand for.'
It's the clearest the group has been on the subject, though not their first attempt to steer the conversation. HYBE and Geffen, meanwhile, have said nothing beyond their original February statement.
Why the Race Theory Took Hold
The theory did not come from nowhere. Manon reportedly liked, then quietly unliked, a social media post criticising the music industry for how it treats the sole Black member of a girl group, drawing direct comparisons to Normani's experience in Fifth Harmony. For EYEKONs already unsettled by her sudden exit, that was enough to keep the theory alive for months, regardless of how briefly the post stayed liked.
It wasn't the only rumour the group has had to knock down. A fabricated graphic mimicking an official KATSEYE statement recently went viral, falsely claiming Manon had been 'sacked' from the group entirely, a hoax the group and fan communities quickly confirmed was AI-generated.
Sophia had tried to head off the deeper speculation once before. Speaking to Allure earlier in June, she said it wasn't the group's place to rush Manon or assume anything about her return, insisting the door stays open. It's clear either the girls or the label had decided the theory had gone far enough that silence was no longer an option.
KATSEYE Members Have Nothing But Love for Manon
Of everyone in the room, Lara Raj was the one who let her guard down. She told Vanity Fair that the six of them had built something rare together, calling it the safest space she'd ever known. 'People just have no idea what goes on', she said. 'They just don't. It's nothing but love between us.'
Dreams have officially become a reality ✨ Introducing your newest global girl group: #KATSEYE pic.twitter.com/eaZSzv0OoW
— KATSEYE (@katseyeworld) November 18, 2023
It wasn't the first time Lara had tried to reassure fans directly. During a Weverse livestream back in May, she pushed back on false narratives circulating online, emphasising 'all six of us', which fans interpreted as confirmation that Manon remains in the group despite the hiatus. But she also admitted that contact with Manon these days is occasional, described only as 'here and there'. This could be a natural result of taking a genuine health break, or signal a growing distance.
The Show Must Go On
Manon attended Coachella this year as a guest, not a performer, while the rest of the group played the set as a five-piece. Sophia said she was glad her bandmate got to enjoy the festival on her own terms. KATSEYE has since released 'Iconic By Mistake', a surprise collaboration with fellow HYBE groups LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT, again without her. Whether Manon will return for the group's next era remains unclear, and neither label has offered a timeline.
Four months on, the silence is still a topic of discussion. A Reddit megathread dedicated to the hiatus has become a focal point, with one user in the r/katseyeneutral community writing that it seems like the label is doing everything in its power not to mention Manon at all. Others in the same thread disagreed, arguing the group has repeatedly shown its support.
Either way, it's the five members answering tough questions about race, distance and the future of their own group, while the labels that made the decision stay silent behind them.
