What’s Tea? Manon’s Temporary Hiatus from KATSEYE Sparks Discourse Amongst Fans and Social Media Users
- Chinyere Ibeh
- Mar 3
- 4 min read
The pop girl group has been in the headlines for the past week as one of its members steps back from the group.
Fresh off the Grammys stage, KATSEYE experiences a shakeup as Manon Bannerman takes a temporary hiatus for health reasons.
HYBE and Geffen, the music labels behind the girl group, released a joint statement on Feb. 20 to KATSEYE’s accounts on Weverse and Twitter (currently known as X). The statement wouldn’t include a timeline for Bannerman’s return.
“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,” the statement 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 when the time is right.”
On the same day, Bannerman addressed fans directly in a brief statement sent out via Weverse DMs.
“Hi friends. 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,” the statement read.
Since both statements hit the internet, fans have called for transparency regarding Bannerman’s hiatus. Others have been posting “KATSEYE is six,” a sentiment that expresses their hope for the hiatus to be truly temporary.
On Feb. 26, Bannerman posted a selfie to her Instagram Story to thank everyone for the support: “I love you all more than words can describe.” The alleged post appears to address the encouragement she received following the hiatus announcement.
Not only did fans and the media have something to say about the hiatus, the father of another group member added his two cents to the matter. Rafael Avanizin, the father of fellow KATSEYE member Daniela Avanzini, suggested that the group could go on without Bannerman.
Not only did he comment on the group’s dynamic, he also spoke on a comparison between his daughter and Lisa from BLACKPINK. He was responding to fan page asking which of the two was a better dancer.
“If you have to ask DANIELA! Much better trained. Plus she’s also Latina, major advantage against Asian dancers. Her hips r untouchable,” he said from a Facebook account that matched his name.
Screenshots circulated social media of the same account resposting eyebrow-raising content, notably a video of Daniela with a caption that read: “congratuf–kinglations to whoever’s getting it every night.”
Many social media users criticized the racial comparison between Lisa and Daniela as well as the sexual nature of which he spoke about his daughter.
The account was deactivated, and a new one with the same name later appeared. The new account alleged that the previous account was mass-reported, and later banned as a result.
As criticism continued to mount against Avanzini, he doubled down in an Instagram comment section. An Instagram user commented how Avanzini wouldn’t have made the comment regarding Bannerman if he truly loved his daughter, especially since people would attack Daniela for such comments.
“Eyekons will [be] Eyekons. I talked with Dani before anything,” Avanzini responded.
He would later issue an apology for his online commentary, noting that he wasn’t in the right headspace.
“I want to apologise to Manon and to everyone I affected, especially Eyekons. I wasn’t in the right headspace when I wrote those comments, and I know I came off rude and insensitive. That was wrong of me, and I’m truly sorry to anyone I hurt,” Avanzini said in his apology.
He continued: “Looking back, I understand I should have stayed in my place and not involved myself in online drama. I only wanted to protect Daniela because the comparisons and the nasty comments were hard to see, but I handled it the wrong way.”
Since the announcements, many fans have speculated that racism had something to do with Bannerman’s departure. The Swiss-born singer allegedly liked a post that read: “Another Black girl subjected to racism and label mistreatment yet again.” Other social media users drew comparisons to the experiences of Leigh-Anne Pinnock of Little Mix and Normani from Fifth Harmony.
Various media outlets took it a step further to highlight the struggles of Black women trying to succeed in pop music.
Deasia Page, a music and culture writer for Elle, wrote about the isolating journey for Black women as they navigate the world of pop. Larisha Paul, staff writer for Rolling Stone, wrote about an emotional support group forming around Bannerman. The members of said support group features Black women previously part of girl groups, who are recounting their experiences in said girl groups.
As the world rallies behind Bannerman, KATSEYE will continue with the remaining five members — performing at Lollapalooza later this month as well as notably make their Coachella debut in April.
The six-member girl group formed in 2023 through the competition series, “Dream Academy.” Netflix later released a docuseries, titled “Popstar Academy: Katseye,” that recounted the creation of the group.
The Los Angeles-based group have been making themselves known in the awards circuit as they won Push Performance of the Year during the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards as well as International New Artist during last year’s BreakTudo Awards. They also made their Grammys debut this year, as they were nominated for Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.