Manon Bannerman is taking a temporary leave from the girl group Katseye.

On Feb. 20, the official Katseye social media accounts announced that the Swiss-Ghanaian singer, who rose to fame with the group that was formed on the 2023 YouTube competition series Dream Academy, would be taking a “temporary hiatus from group activities to focus on her health and wellbeing.” The news came weeks after the group, which also includes Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza and Yoonchae Jeung, performed at the 2026 Grammys, where they were nominated for two awards.

“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,” the post continued. It was signed “HxG,” a reference to Katseye being a joint venture between HYBE, the South Korean company that created BTS, and Geffen Records, which is owned by Universal Music Group.

Shortly after the statement was released, Bannerman reportedly spoke out about the temporary exit via DMs on the South Korean app Weverse, which fans use to communicate with artists. “I’m healthy, I’m okay, and I’m taking care of myself,” she wrote. “Thank u for checking in! Sometimes things unfold in ways we don’t fully control, but I’m trusting the bigger picture.”

Since her exit was announced, Bannerman has not spoken out about any upcoming Katseye projects, including the group’s music video for their upcoming single “Pinky Up.” She was not featured in the teaser that dropped on April 2. The day the teaser was released, Forbes reported she thanked her fans on Weverse for the “love and support” she’s received and said she is “really grateful for the patience and kindness” being shown to her.

“HxG and I are having positive conversations and I feel supported,” she continued. “I'm happy and I'm healthy. I'll share more soon. Thank you for always being there for me.”

How Katseye got started — and where they’re going next

Katseye is a global girl group first formed on Hybe and Geffen Records’ reality series Dream Academy in 2023. The following year, Netflix chronicled the group’s formation in the documentary series Popstar Academy: Katseye.

The diverse six-member group released their first EP in 2024, and in 2025 dropped hit singles “Gabriela” and “Gnarly.” They performed at the Grammys earlier this year, where they were nominated for Best New Artist and Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Katseye will perform at the California music festival Coachella in April, but it’s unclear whether Bannerman will join the group. She did not participate in their Lollapalooza performances across Latin America but did receive a shout-out onstage from fellow Katseye member Laforteza during their set in Buenos Aires.

What people are saying about Bannerman’s exit 

Bannerman is the only Black member of Katseye, and some fans believe that she was treated unfairly from the get-go — including during her time on Popstar Academy, where she was called out for missing practices. In a February 2026 interview with The Cut published days before her temporary exit announcement, she criticized the work-life-balance culture in America for pressuring her to work even when she was sick.

“Being called lazy, especially as a Black girl, is not fair,” Bannerman said at the time. “Now I feel like I always need to put in extra work to prove something, even though I really don’t.”

In an interview with Nylon that same month — conducted just days before Bannerman’s temporarily leaving the group — the singer also called out the pressures of being in the public eye.

“What we’ve learned about what it takes to be an artist is not paying too much attention to what is happening online,” Bannerman said at the time. “I think once you get famous, there’s so many opinions all of a sudden about you. Everyone’s judging and having something to say. Just keep building a wall between all of that.”

Bannerman has also been at the center of racialized conversations and the target of racially charged rhetoric. And while Bannerman has not spoken publicly about racism being a factor in why she is taking a step away from Katseye, people are speculating that her exit is a result of the music industry failing Black women. Since taking leave from Katseye, she’s been publicly supported by other Black members of girl groups, including Leigh-Anne Pinnock from Little Mix and Melody Thornton, the Pussycat Dolls’ only Black member.

In response to how Bannerman was treated in Popstar Academy, Rolling Stone writer Larisha Paul wrote, “The idea that Black women should simply power through, or endure mistreatment under the guise of proving themselves, is systemic. It’s a perpetual test designed for them to fail. It’s expected that they not only overextend themselves to prove their place, but also that they should feel lucky to be there — and be considered — at all. But it’s never a privilege to suffer and struggle.”

In an op-ed for Elle, DeAsia Paige called Bannerman’s exit a “consequence of the music industry’s failure to fully see and support Black women in pop.”

The months leading up to Bannerman’s exit made some fans speculate that the singer was being treated differently from the rest of her groupmates. That included Bannerman's absence from an Instagram post featuring Katseye’s Glossier billboard ad and a performance of “Gabriela” in 2025, the latter of which was attributed to an ankle injury.

Whether Bannerman’s exit is truly temporary — or when she’ll return — is unknown. On April 3, fans noticed that Bannerman removed the mention of Katseye from her Instagram bio.