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The six members have been through a lot since debuting in 2023.
8/10/2026
Yoonchae Jeong, Megan Skiendiel, Lara Raj, Manon Bannerman, Sophia Laforteza and Daniela Avanzini of KATSEYE at the 68th GRAMMY Awards held at the Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. Gilbert Flores/Billboard
KATSEYE has had a truly wild run in the short time since the girl group formed in 2023, from emerging through a cutthroat competition series to scoring multiple chart hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and, ultimately, seeing multiple members announce plans to temporarily step away from the lineup.
Comprised of members Sophia, Manon, Lara, Yoonchae, Megan and Daniela, KATSEYE was originally conceptualized by HYBE x Geffen as the music industry’s very first “global” girl group. Whittling down tens of thousands of applicants from all different countries and cultural backgrounds, the entertainment company — which is also responsible for K-pop phenoms such as BTS and ENHYPEN — selected just 20 young women and girls to compete on a web show called “Dream Academy,” through which they eventually locked in a lineup of six.
With Sophia representing her home in the Philippines, Manon hailing from Switzerland and Yoonchae bringing her South Korean heritage — meanwhile Lara, Daniela and Megan respectively grew up in the U.S. in families of Indian, Latin American and Asian descent — KATSEYE hit the ground running with built-in worldwide appeal. But having millions of eyes on you as you work to keep up with a grueling slate of rehearsals, recording sessions and performances is undoubtedly taxing — and at different points in 2026, HYBE x Geffen would announce that more than one of the members needed to take a break from the band at the height of its momentum, fueled by smashes like “Gnarly,” “Gabriela” and “Pinky Up.”
It’s unknown how KATSEYE’s membership will continue to evolve from here, even in a temporary capacity, but EYEKONs will definitely be there to support the girl group through it all. Keep reading to see an updating timeline of the band’s lineup below.
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Nov. 17, 2023: KATSEYE Forms on ‘Dream Academy’ Finale
Image Credit: Christopher Polk/Billboard KATSEYE’s lineup was determined via a combination of fan voting and executive label decisions on the live finale of HYBE’s Dream Academy, on which Billboard‘s own Tetris Kelly announced the names of the trainees who’d won a place in the group following an arduous run on the competition series: Sophia, Manon, Yoonchae, Megan, Daniela and Lara.
The process of casting, training and developing those six young women was also chronicled in Netflix documentary Pop Star Academy, as were the stories of dozens of other recruits who’d competed to be a part of HYBE’s global girl group experiment. KATSEYE would go on to drop debut single “Debut” in June 2024, followed by EP SIS (Soft Is Strong) that August.
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Feb. 20, 2026: Manon’s Hiatus Announced
Shortly after performing at the 2026 Grammys — where KATSEYE was nominated for best new artist, which ultimately went to Olivia Dean — HYBE announced that Manon would be taking an indefinite break from the band.
“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 company’s February 2026 statement read. “We fully support this decision … The group will continue scheduled activities during this time, and we look forward to being together again when the time is right. Thank you to our EYEKONS for your continued love, patience, and understanding.”
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May 14, 2026: Manon Takes ‘Topmodel’ Side Quest
After KATSEYE performed at Coachella and began the rollout for EP Wild sans Manon, the Swiss singer embarked on a side quest of her own with an appearance on season 21 of Germany’s Next Topmodel. She served as a guest judge alongside host Heidi Klum.
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June 25, 2026: Sophia Warns Against ‘Assumptions’
As months went by with Manon still absent, Sophia shared a much-needed message to fans about making “assumptions” amid the situation.
“Because we did announce that it is about her well-being, it’s not our place or anybody else’s place to rush her,” Sophia told Allure in June 2026. “We want to give her all the time that she needs, all the space that she needs, and so we don’t want to make any assumptions, set anything in stone… She really deserves that, and the door is always open.”
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June 30, 2026: KATSEYE Denies Manon’s Hiatus Was ‘About Race’
The members of KATSEYE once again addressed their bandmate’s hiatus in an interview with Vanity Fair, shutting down speculation that Manon — who is the only Black woman in the group — stepped away or was asked to leave for any race-related reason.
“We can definitely say that in our situation, in no way was it about race,” Sophia said at the time. “That goes against everything that we stand for.”
“The safest space that we had was within the six of us,” Lara added, subtly dismissing rumors that she or any of the other members had wanted to boot Manon from the lineup. “People just have no idea what goes on. They just don’t. It’s nothing but love between us.”
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Aug. 4, 2026: Sophia Skips ‘Wild Hearts’ Premiere
Image Credit: Michael Buckner/Variety At the premiere of KATSEYE’s Wild Hearts movie premiere, only four ladies were present on the red carpet: Lara, Megan, Daniela and Yoonchae.
Sophia and Manon were both absent from the event.
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Aug. 7, 2026: Sophia Announces Hiatus
Three days after missing the Wild Hearts premiere, Sophia announced that she was pressing pause on her involvement in KATSEYE to focus on her mental health. “It truly breaks my heart to have to miss out on a lot,” she wrote on her Instagram Story in August 2026. “Making this decision wasn’t easy, but I’m learning that health has to come first. I’m realizing that if I don’t take care of my mind and body now, I won’t be able to keep doing what I love the most for so long.”
In a statement of its own, HYBE wrote, “Sophia has been receiving the utmost support, and following thorough consultations with medical professionals, it has been advised that she take dedicated time for extended rest and ongoing care to ensure a full recovery… We sincerely appreciate your understanding and continued support for Sophia, and we look forward to her being back with KATSEYE.”
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