Updated

Updated · Cosmopolitan · Jun 30

KATSEYE Denies Race Drove 24-Year-Old Manon Bannerman's Hiatus, Says Door Stays Open

Updated

Updated · Cosmopolitan · Jun 30

KATSEYE Denies Race Drove 24-Year-Old Manon Bannerman's Hiatus, Says Door Stays Open

Q: Despite the group's denial, do Manon's actions hint at the real reason she stepped away?

Yes—her public actions have given fans reasons to suspect the hiatus involves more than a simple health break, but they do not prove an alternative explanation. The strongest signals are circumstantial. Manon said in February that she was “healthy” and that “sometimes things unfold in ways we don’t fully control,” wording that suggested outside factors rather than a purely medical issue. She also removed “KATSEYE” from her Instagram bio in April, a move many read as distancing herself from the group, though she later said she was having “positive conversations” with HYBE x Geffen and felt supported. The biggest source of speculation was her reported like on a post about Black girls facing racism and label mistreatment. Because Manon had previously spoken about the pressure of being KATSEYE’s only Black member, fans treated that as a possible clue that race or workplace dynamics played a role. She later appeared to unlike the post, and neither she nor the group has confirmed that interpretation. At the same time, there is evidence against reading too much into those signals. The remaining members have directly denied that race was behind the hiatus, saying the group remains supportive and that Manon is still part of KATSEYE. Manon herself has repeatedly said she is “happy,” “healthy,” and in a positive place. So her actions do hint at unresolved issues beyond the original brief statement, but the public evidence remains ambiguous, not definitive.

Q: As KATSEYE's tour begins, is the 'open door' for Manon a genuine offer or just good PR?

It is likely both: a genuine offer that also serves an obvious PR purpose. The strongest evidence that the invitation is real is the consistency of what KATSEYE’s members have said. In multiple interviews, they have described Manon as still part of the group, denied that race was the reason for her hiatus, and said they want to give her time and space. Sophia Laforteza’s “the door is always open” line fits that pattern, and Lara Raj’s “nothing but love” suggests there is no public rupture they want to signal. Manon has also said she is “healthy” and in “positive conversations” with HYBE x Geffen, which does not sound like a clean break. But it is also clearly useful PR as the group heads into a new EP cycle and tour without one of its most visible members. The message helps calm fan backlash, avoids confirming a split, and preserves flexibility if Manon never returns. That matters because there are signs of distance: she has not been confirmed for the EP or tour, she removed KATSEYE from her Instagram bio in April, and the members say they speak only “here and there,” not constantly. So the “open door” should be read as sincere but conditional. The group appears willing to have Manon back, but there is no hard evidence that a return is imminent. For now, it functions as both emotional reassurance and strategic message control.

3 articles · Updated · Cosmopolitan · Jun 30

KATSEYE said in new Vanity Fair and Allure interviews that Manon Bannerman’s hiatus was not race-related and that she remains part of the group.
Sophia Laforteza said the break was “in no way” about race, while Lara Raj said there is “nothing but love” between the members and that they still keep in touch with Manon.
The group said Bannerman needs time and space for her well-being, declining to set a return timeline even as she is absent from the upcoming EP and not confirmed for the tour.
Bannerman, whose hiatus was announced in February, told fans in a June 26 birthday post that she has “never been healthier, happier, or more grateful.”