Growing popular from the Netflix competition show “Pop Star Academy”, the global girl group sensation KATSEYE was born. Record labels HYBE and Geffen Records came together to create the first-ever global girl group using K-pop methodologies in 2023. The show gained popularity as viewers were engaged in voting for who they wanted to be in the final group of six girls. Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Manon Bannerman, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza and Yoonchae Jeung were selected and shot into superstardom with their debut music video currently having 183 million views on their YouTube channel.
Support for the six girls continued to grow as they sold out shows on tour. They also worked with brands to promote products, create merchandise and collaborated with other established groups online. KATSEYE continued to grow within the industry, taking the internet by storm. The new group seemed unstoppable, that was, until 2026.
Manon Bannerman’s Disappearance
At first, it seemed as though Manon took a step back from the group. She removed “KATSEYE” from her social media bio but still interacted positively with fans, emphasizing her well-being and needing to take a break for health reasons.
Only a few months later, in May, did her departure from the group become official via instagram live. This sparked a lot of controversy with fans. Many feeling disconnected from the group in support of Manon.
But still, the remaining five girls continued to grow their empire by releasing new music and continuing their tour.
“Iconic by Mistake” was a collaboration KATSEYE did with the popular girl groups ILLIT and LESSERAFIM. The girls highlighted that their skills as a group were still strong throughout the song their dance performances. Soon, many fans started to accept them as a group of five. Things were starting to look up again for KATSEYE.
Sophia Laforteza’s Departure
A similar cycle seemed to occur for the beloved leader of the group. Sophia’s hiatus was announced by KATSEYE, emphasizing her need to take a temporary leave due to received medical advice to rest. Her leave is announced to be reassessed soon in September 2026.
While this separation from the group is described as temporary, fans speculate that this will result in a more permanent absence from KATSEYE like it has for Manon.
Going from a group of six down to four, the girls seem to be dropping like flies. The future of KATSEYE and attempts to regain support remain unclear. Conversations fans have about the group becoming even smaller circulate throughout the fandom. Concern for the remaining girls’ wellbeing at stake is a highly discussed topic as a result of these much needed mental health breaks from former members.
The poor mental health pattern for participants in the program leaves many self proclaimed EYEKONS wondering. Will KATSEYE go from a successful female, global sensation into a failed experiment attempted by powerful record labels?