Katseye Shake-Up: Manon Bannerman Won’t Return After Hiatus, Source Reveals

Short version: it looks like Manon Bannerman is out of Katseye. After a months-long break, a new report says she is not planning to return — and the timing lines up with her quietly pulling 'Katseye' from her Instagram bio a few days ago. She is 23.

How we got here

• February: Katseye told fans on Weverse that after 'open and thoughtful conversations,' Manon would take a temporary hiatus to focus on her health and well-being. The group said they fully supported her, would continue scheduled activities, and hoped to be together again when the time was right. They also thanked Eyekons — their fandom — for the patience and love.
• The same day, Manon posted on Weverse to reassure everyone that she was OK, healthy, and taking care of herself. She said she was trusting the bigger picture and could not wait to see fans again.
• Last week: Manon checked in again on Weverse, thanking fans for the support and saying she felt backed by HxG — the group’s management — and that they were having positive conversations. She said she was happy, healthy, and would share more soon.
• Days ago: she removed 'Katseye' from her Instagram bio.
• Now: a source tells Us Weekly she does not plan to return to the group. Us says they reached out to Manon and Katseye reps for comment.

The bigger picture

Katseye came out of Hybe and Geffen Records' 2023 reality competition series Dream Academy. Alongside Manon, the lineup includes Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza, and Yoonchae Jeung. They broke through with 'Touch,' followed by 'Gabriela,' and snagged a Best New Artist nomination at the 2026 Grammys in February.

The conversation around Manon

As the group took off, fans kept flagging moments where Manon — Katseye's only Black member — seemed sidelined. The biggest example people point to: she was not in the 'Gabriela' music video, and she has sometimes been hard to spot in promo materials. Manon has talked about the criticism that comes with that spotlight. Earlier this year, she told The Cut she felt the labels thrown at her were unfair and pushed her to overprove herself.

'Being called lazy, especially as a Black girl, is not fair. Now I feel like I always need to put in extra work to prove something, even though I really don't.'

Where this leaves Katseye

Officially, no one from Manon's camp or the group has posted a permanent exit statement as of now. But between the bio change and the new report, it is hard to read this as anything but a departure. Katseye has been moving ahead as five since February, and based on that earlier Weverse note, they plan to keep to their schedule.

It is a tough turn, especially after Manon just said things with management were positive. If that changed behind the scenes, it changed fast. Either way, fans now have to process a likely goodbye to a founding member who was front and center in the group's origin story — even when she was not always front and center in the visuals.