What Is Going On With Manon & KATSEYE? A Detailed Timeline Of Her 'Temporary Hiatus'

If your tween loves KATSEYE, then you’ll need to get caught up on all the drama happening in the K-pop girl group right now (because, trust us: there is a lot). The group debuted in 2023, made up of members Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Manon Bannerman, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza, and Yoonchae Jeung, and they’ve been dominating the pop industry in the years since with hits like “Gnarly” and their viral GAP ad.

However, amid their global domination, the news that Manon is taking a “temporary hiatus” from the group has sent fans into a tailspin.

Speculation around Manon’s place in the band has long bubbled up among fans. Since summer 2025, KATSEYE fans (called EYEKONS) believed that Manon was getting ready to leave the group due to frequent absences from events. However, the band shut down these concerns in September 2025.

“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. “It’s forever going to be that way.”

But a lot has changed since then. Here’s a full timeline of everything going on with Manon and KATSEYE.

February 17: Manon says she’s not leaving KATSEYE

Amid speculation about missed rehearsals, performances, and other meetups, Manon shut down speculation that she’s leaving the band, explaining to The Cut in Feb. 2026 that she “get[s] sick all the time.” She chalked it up to being from Switzerland, where the work-life balance is much different. Manon explained, “If you’re sick, you take a day off. No one’s going to expect you to work.”

As the only Black girl of the group, Manon felt unfairly singled out after the hate on Netflix’s Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE. “Being called lazy, especially as a Black girl, is not fair,” she told the outlet. “Now I feel like I always need to put in extra work to prove something, even though I really don’t.”

In the same interview, Manon said that she wasn’t planning on breaking up the group. “When One Direction split, that was really hard,” she said. “I don’t want our fans to go through that. I don’t want to be responsible for breaking so many hearts.”

February 20: KATSEYE confirms Manon’s “temporary hiatus”

Three days after the interview with The Cut was released, KATSEYE announced on X on Feb. 20 that Manon was going on a “temporary hiatus from group activities to focus on her health and wellbeing.” They added that the rest of the group members “fully support this decision” and will continue to perform until Manon decides to come back. “We look forward to being together again when the time is right,” the statement added.

The reactions to this statement were mixed, with some people saying things like, “Can you drop her please? We don’t need her anymore” and others writing messages such as, “please take care of yourself, take your time and support that you need, we love you so much ❤️”

February 20: Manon speaks for herself

The same day, Manon released a statement on her Weverse account, a messaging platform designed by KATSEYE’s management company, Hybe.

“Hi friends. ???? I want you to hear this from me, I’m healthy, I’m okay, and I’m taking care of myself,” Manon wrote, according to a screenshot shared by fans.

She added, “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.”

April 2: Manon reveals she is working on an agreement with KATSEYE

After removing “KATSEYE” from her Instagram bio, per Nylon, Manon posted on Weverse, according to another screenshot from the KATSEYE News X account, about working with KATSEYE labels HYBE and Geffen (HxG). “Thank you so much for all the love and support you’ve been sending my way,” she wrote. “I’m really grateful for the patience and kindness everyone has shown during this time. HxG and I are having positive conversations and I feel supported.”

“I’m happy and I’m healthy. I’ll share more soon,” she added. “Thank you for always being there for me.”

April 7: Manon appears in a KATSEYE photoshoot

Manon appeared in an April 7 cover story with Nylon alongside the rest of the members. However, it appears that the photoshoot was done before her hiatus was announced.

In the accompanying interview, Manon addressed the importance of boundaries. “Being in a group, it’s just about good communication and setting good boundaries and building a friendship, but also work relationship, and always remembering that it’s a shared goal that we have,” she said.

She added that “not everyone’s always going to be on the same page about everything,” but that’s why they have to work together. “But I think we all are at, or have been learning and are finally coming to, a point where for the group’s sake, you give and you take. You pick your battles,” Manon continued.

Sophia poignantly added, “We’re only as strong as our weakest member. We need to make sure that we’re all showing up for each other and all going at the same pace. We cannot leave anybody behind.”

April 9: KATSEYE release ‘Pinky Up’ music video without Manon

KATSEYE released the music video for their song, “Pinky Up,” on April 9 and Manon does not appear alongside the other five members. At this point, many fans of the group were enraged and organizing boycotts of the music video.

Some fans note that Manon was previously involved in teasing the video and may have been cut from it amid her hiatus.

April 10: KATSEYE make their Coachella debut without Manon

Manon was missing on April 10, when KATSEYE made their Coachella debut. According to Teen Vogue, the singers showed up without Manon and still drew a huge crowd.

Despite not performing with the group, Manon was at Coachella, according to Forbes. The outlet reported that she attended Sabrina Carpenter’s set with Chappell Roan and Ice Spice by her side. She also attended Justin Bieber’s afterparty with Lizzo.

April 14: KATSEYE drops new Gap campaign & Manon is missing again

On April 14, the group released a new Gap x KATSEYE collection, which featured campaign photos of the band and hoodies “designed through the lens of every member.” Notably, Manon was missing from both the group photos and the individual photos of the singers showing off their hoodies. However, in one picture, six hoodies are featured, and you can buy a hoodie designed by Manon.

It’s unclear if this means she will be returning to the group or if she already designed it before her temporary hiatus.

Fans were quick to notice Manon was missing. One person commented on the post, “Bring Manon back!!!!!” Another wrote, “Nice hoodies but MANON is missing..”

“I miss manon ????,” someone else commented.

Only time will tell if Manon decides to return. Here’s hoping!