On Feb 20, Manon Bannerman was announced to be taking a hiatus from the international girl-group, KATSEYE.
HYBE x Geffen released a statement on the fandom social media platform, WEVERSE, notifying fans that Bannerman would be taking time off to focus on her “health and well-being.” Bannerman released a separate statement on Weverse to let fans know she is healthy and taking care of herself. In her post, she stated, “Sometimes things unfold in ways we don’t fully control, but I’m trusting the bigger picture.”
The contrasting statements prompt fans to speculate. On Feb. 21, Simply Simone posted a video about the mistreatment of solo Black girls in multiracial girl groups. Bannerman likedthe video on Instagram. Since Instagram likes are public to followers, everybody who follows Bannerman and sees the post can see that she liked it.
Following the video, Bannerman received public support from famous Black women in the music industry, including former Fifth Harmony member Normani, previous member of Little Mix Leigh-Anne Pinnock, SZA and Chlӧe Bailey.
On Feb. 24, Bannerman’s rumored boyfriend, David Enth, shared via Instagram story an Impact story about the mistreatment of Black women in the music industry. This increased speculation from fans that Bannerman may have been mistreated by management due to racism.
The controversy was further fueled by KATSEYE’s lead dancer, Daniela Avanzini’s father, who made negative comments about Bannerman online. In response to a fan sharing that they believe KATSEYE works best as a six-person group, he commented, “5 is OK too.” Elsewhere, he commented, “Come back when you ready to work.”
On March 12, the girls appeared on the cover of Glamour Mexico. The shoot was before Bannerman went on hiatus. KATSEYE’s all-rounder Megan Skiendiel was also noticeably missing from the shoot due to illness.
Since the beginning, there has always been controversy surrounding Bannerman’s treatment in contrast to that of the other members.
During the summer of 2024, KATSEYE first released the choreography for their song “Debut.” Many fans noticed that Bannerman was blocked from view by the other members throughout the dance despite multiple formation shifts. Some fans thought this was just due to Bannerman having less dance training than the other girls, while others thought there was a deeper reason for this.
These concerns were furthered by the release of “Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE.” The Netflix docuseries should include the extensive behind-the-scenes of “The Debut: Dream Academy,” the competitive survival show where KATSEYE was formed, and the build-up to the show.
The documentary showed Bannerman in a negative light. The team behind Dream Academy sought out Bannerman specifically and spent more time with Bannerman than they did with other girls in the program. Bannerman is shown taking more sick days than the other girls and seemingly facing less harsh repercussions than the other girls might receive.
This leads to the other girls in the program appearing not to like working with Bannerman because of their belief that she gets special treatment.
“I would absolutely not put her in this group based on my work experience with her,” Missy Paramo, a prominent member of both the team behind Dream Academy and KATSEYE’s current team, said.
As of March 20, Bannerman has unfollowed Paramo on Instagram.
Just days before Bannerman’s hiatus was announced, KATSEYE’s issue with The Cut was released Feb 17. Bannerman stated, “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.”
Since Bannerman’s hiatus, the rest of KATSEYE has played Lollapalooza Argentina, Lollapalooza Chile, Lollapalooza Colombia and Lollapalooza Brazil. The other girls took turns covering Bannerman’s parts in each of the songs, with Skiendiel taking over the most lyrics.
Bannerman’s Weverse statement, “I love you endlessly and can’t wait to see you again,” leaves fans with a spark of hope despite negative signs and rumors.
Eyekons are looking forward to Bannerman's return to the group in time for KATSEYE’s Coachella debut on April 10.
