Manon, one of six members of the global girl group KATSEYE, has officially gone on hiatus as announced by the group’s management company on Feb. 20. This has led to heavy speculation from fans, who believe Manon has permanently exited the group — a move which many say comes after she was sidelined from multiple group projects. Manon has also received overwhelming support from her peers in the music industry, especially from other Black artists.
Here’s everything we know about Manon’s hiatus from KATSEYE and what the announcement represents for the sole Black member of the group.
What we know about Manon’s hiatus from KATSEYE
HYBE and Geffen announced Manon’s hiatus from the girl group in a statement posted on X and Weverse on Feb. 20.
“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,” it read. “We fully support this decision. 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. Thank you to our EYEKONS for your continued love, patience, and understanding.”
HYBE and Geffen did not share a follow-up or details regarding when Manon is expected to return. In the meantime, KATSEYE’s upcoming performances include a show at Lollapalooza Argentina on March 13 and their Coachella debut in April.
At the moment, it is unknown whether Manon’s hiatus from KATSEYE will lead to a permanent exit. What we know is that the announcement was sudden. KATSEYE’s last public appearance was on Feb. 4 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The girl group performed at the 2026 Grammys, where they were nominated for Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. They also appeared in a Super Bowl commercial for State Farm.
Following HYBE and Geffen’s announcement, Manon published her own statement and appeared to contradict mentions of her needing to focus on her “health and wellbeing.”
“Hi friends,” Manon reportedly wrote to fans on Weverse, according to Teen Vogue. “I want you to hear this from me, I’m healthy, I’m okay, and I’m taking care of myself. 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.”
Fans are convinced that Manon was kicked out of KATSEYE
In K-pop, an idol’s announced hiatus is often followed by their exit from the group. Although KATSEYE is not a K-pop group per se, they were formed and are managed by the South Korean company HYBE, which is responsible for K-pop groups such as BTS, Seventeen, LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans and BOYNEXTDOOR.
LE SSERAFIM’s Kim Garam was announced to have gone on hiatus in May 2022 before officially exiting the group in July. Soojin from the girl group (G)I-dle also went on hiatus before exiting the group, according to The South China Morning Post. In 2025, Danielle from NewJeans was dropped from the group as they fought but eventually failed to gain their independence from HYBE.
When it comes to Manon, fans believe she has been sidelined from the group for months before the announcement. Manon was notably absent from KATSEYE’s performance video for their single “Gabriela.”
The other five members — Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza and Yoonchae Jeung — also posed together in front of the group’s billboard advertisement for Glossier, while Manon’s face was covered in photos posted online.
The next day, Manon posted her own photo posing in front of the billboard. Manon also appeared to be the only member not to have her solo photo and video shared when KATSEYE promoted their collab with Monster High and subsequent dolls made in their image.
@_sserallit No MANON, No KATSEYE !!!!!!!! #manon #katseye #foryou #explore ♬ Breakin Dishes – Random
Speculation regarding Manon’s place in the group has circulated online prior to the announcement of her hiatus. Some claims, such as alleged comments made by KATSEYE group member Daniela’s father regarding Manon, remain unverified.
So far, none of KATSEYE’s other five members have publicly commented on Manon’s hiatus. However, they have expressed wanting to remain a six-member group in the past.
“Despite having some interviews or performances with a missing member, what’s important is that at the end of the day, we’re still going to be six as KATSEYE moving forward and through all of this,” Sophia told Billboard in 2025. “It’s forever going to be that way.”
Manon herself said she would never want to be the reason KATSEYE disbanded.
“When One Direction split, that was really hard. I don’t want our fans to go through that. I don’t want to be responsible for breaking so many hearts,” she told The Cut in an interview published earlier in February. “KATSEYE is going to stay KATSEYE for a while.”
If there is one thing we’ve learned from Dream Academy, the 2024 Netflix series that chronicled how KATSEYE was formed, it is that the girls in the program showcased friendship and sisterhood despite being pitted against each other during the training program and show.
What Manon’s hiatus from KATSEYE means in regards to racial dynamics in girl groups
Since being introduced to the public in Dream Academy, Manon has faced public criticism regarding her work ethic. Her absence from several training sessions during the program was featured as a main storyline on the show. Her being labeled as “lazy” has followed her ever since then.
“Being called lazy, especially as a Black girl, is not fair,” Manon told The Cut. “Now I feel like I always need to put in extra work to prove something, even though I really don’t.”
In Dream Academy, Manon appeared to have been personally scouted by management officials who believed in her talent and star power. On the show, her performances garnered praise from judges and eventually led her to join KATSEYE.
Manon is a rare example of a Black idol being featured in a girl group created by a South Korean company. Lara noted the significance of Manon’s presence in regards to representation.
“In K-pop, having a Black girl is just such a like revolutionary thing and I think has made so many people feel represented,” she said in an interview with YouTuber junkee in regards to Manon as she was absent that day.
Manon’s hiatus echoes previous occurrences of Black girl group members being pushed aside. Normani from Fifth Harmony, Leigh-Ann from Little Mix and Melody Thornton from The Pussycat Dolls have shared their experiences dealing with racism in the industry. Coincidentally, all three women have expressed their support for Manon since the announcement.
Leigh-Anne wrote, “We need to protect each other,” in a reply to a fan noting Normani had started following Manon. Thornton shared a portrait of Manon on her Instagram page with the caption, “We see you.”
SZA commented under Manon’s most recent Instagram post, “Perfect girl,” while Kehlani wrote, “Ball out time” in all-caps, according to Billboard. Tiffany Haddish also commented, “Queen tings.”
Chlöe Bailey also expressed her support as she wrote on her Discord server, “I’m sad about Manon,” per Billboard.
Manon received overwhelming support from both her peers in the music industry and fans of KATSEYE. She took to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday to address the support and high media coverage of her announced hiatus.
“i love you all more than words could describe,” she wrote over a photo of herself taken in a mirror.
