KATSEYE Says Reason for Manon’s Hiatus Wasn’t About Race: ‘That Goes Against Everything That We Stand For’

Some fans had speculated that Manon faced mistreatment with respect to her being the only Black member of the group.

Megan Skiendiel, Manon Bannerman, Sophia Laforteza, Lara Raj, Daniela Avanzini and Yoonchae Jeung of KATSEYE at Universal Media Group's The 68th Grammy Awards After Party on Feb. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles.

Chad Salvador/Billboard

As questions about Manon’s hiatus from KATSEYE continue to proliferate, the active members of the group have once again addressed the reason for their bandmate’s break — this time shutting down speculation that it had something to do with race.

Speaking to Vanity Fair in a story published Tuesday (June 30), Sophia, Lara, Daniela, Yoonchae and Megan shared that they’ve been in contact with Manon “here and there” in the months since HYBE announced in February that she’d be stepping back to “focus on her health and well-being.”