As the pop girl group Katseye debuts at Coachella this weekend, the milestone will feel bittersweet for fans as bandmate Manon Bannerman is absent from the performance amid her extended hiatus.
The six-member group, founded by music executives at the K-pop titan Hybe and Geffen Records on the 2023 survival competition Dream Academy: The Debut, is currently facing boycott from fans — known as Eyekons — who are demanding transparency over Bannerman’s abrupt hiatus announced in February.
Consisting of Bannerman, Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza and Yoonchae Jeung, Katseye was conceptualized by the same team behind the K-pop megagroup BTS, regarded as one of the most successful boy bands of all time, to form a “global, diverse and multitalented girl pop group.”
On February 20, Bannerman, 23, announced that she would be taking a “temporary hiatus from group activities to focus on her health and wellbeing.” HxG — the acronym to symbolize the joint venture between HYBE and Geffen Records — said at the time that they “fully support” her decision.
However, fans grew concerned as Bannerman’s absence stretched on longer than expected. She did not appear in promotional materials for the group’s new single “Pinky Up,” released on April 2, and has since removed all references to Katseye from her Instagram bio. Bannerman did not feature in the single’s music video released April 9.
Daniela, Megan, Manon, Sophia, Yoonchae and Lara Raj of Katseye perform onstage at the 2026 Grammys (Getty Images)
The omission sparked backlash online. “We want Manon,” wrote one fan, as another criticized the promotional strategy, writing: “No one thought the hiatus would apply to their music and videos. Not acknowledging Manon’s absence here is actually deranged.” Another added: “KATSEYE WILL ALWAYS BE SIX, I AM NOT GONNA SHUT UP ABOUT IT!”
Soon after, Bannerman addressed her absence on the South Korean app Weverse, which fans use to communicate with artists. “I’m healthy, I’m okay, and I’m taking care of myself,” she wrote, then adding cryptically: “Sometimes things unfold in ways we don’t fully control, but I’m trusting the bigger picture.”
The Swiss-Ghanian performer said in a separate post that “HxG and I are having positive conversations and I feel supported,” she continued. “I’m happy and I’m healthy. I’ll share more soon. Thank you for always being there for me.”
Even before her hiatus, some fans speculated that Bannerman was being treated differently from her bandmates. A Netflix documentary chronicling the Dream Academy selection process showed tensions during training, including moments when Bannerman missed rehearsals and other group members expressed resentment for her lack of prior dance and singing training, having initially been scouted for her social media presence.
Manon Bannerman is on a hiatus from the global pop group Katseye to focus on her ‘wellbeing’ (Getty Images for MTV)
Fans and music industry commentators have also speculated that Bannerman, who is the only Black member of the girl group, exited the group as a result of the music industry’s treatment of Black women. Through the boycott, fans have been using social media to demand answers from Katseye’s representatives using the hashtags #JusticeForManon and #BoycottForManon. The Independent has contacted a representative for Katseye for comment.
Since she stepped back from Katseye, Bannerman has been publicly supported by other Black members of girl groups, including Leigh-Anne Pinnock from Britain’s Little Mix and Melody Thornton from The Pussycat Dolls.
In an op-ed for Elle, writer DeAsia Paige called Bannerman’s exit a “consequence of the music industry’s failure to fully see and support Black women in pop,” while Rolling Stone writer Larish Paul said the mainstream music industry was a “perpetual test” designed to make Black women fail.
The final six candidates to form Katseye were unveiled in a pageant-style live show in November 2023 (Getty Images for HYBE x Geffen R)
In a February 2026 interview with The Cut, published days before her temporary exit announcement, Bannerman criticized the work-life balance culture in America and addressed the scrutiny she faced for being sick during rehearsals at the Dream Academy.
“Being called lazy, especially as a Black girl, is not fair,” Bannerman said at the time. “Now I feel like I always need to put in extra work to prove something, even though I really don’t.”
When the band was formed on The Debut: Dream Academy, fan voting determined the final six-person lineup, which was unveiled in a pageant-style live show in November 2023.
A 2024 Netflix documentary about the process, called Pop Star Academy: Katseye, captured the physical toll of training and the stress of public scrutiny.
Since their debut, the group has had chart success with singles “Gnarly” and “Gabriela.” The latter song saw the group nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at this year’s Grammys. They were also nominated in the Best New Artist category, which ultimately went to British singer Olivia Dean.
Katseye will perform at Coachella April 10 and April 17 on the Sahara stage.