The singer, 23, and the girl group announced on Friday, Aug. 7 that she will be prioritizing her \u201cmental health and wellness,\u201d and will therefore be \u201ctemporarily unable to participate in upcoming promotional activities.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSophia 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,\u201d KATSEYE wrote in a statement shared to Weverse<\/a>. \u201cWhile Sophia herself is eager to perform alongside her members, the health, safety, and long-term well-being of our artists will always remain our highest priority.\u201d<\/p>\n The statement went on to say that KATSEYE would be \u201cclosely monitor[ing] her progress and support[ing] her journey,\u201d and that Laforteza\u2019s condition would be reassessed in September.<\/p>\n \u201cWe sincerely appreciate your understanding and continued support for Sophia, and we look forward to her being back with KATSEYE,\u201d the statement concluded.<\/p>\n Sophia\u2019s statementCredit: Sophia Laforteza\/Instagram<\/p>\n In a post of her own shared to her Instagram Stories, Laforteza wrote that she hadn\u2019t come to the decision to step away easily, but felt she had to put her health first.<\/p>\n \u201cIt truly breaks my heart to have to miss out on a lot. You know how much I love being on stage, performing, and sharing these moments with you,\u201d she wrote. \u201cMaking this decision wasn\u2019t easy, but I\u2019m learning that health has to come first. I\u2019m realizing that if I don\u2019t take care of my mind and body now, I won\u2019t be able to keep doing what I love the most for so long.\u201d<\/p>\n Laforteza did not disclose any specific health issues, but did thank fans for \u201cbeing so patient, understanding, and always showing me so much love.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt means more to me than I could ever say. I promise I\u2019m going to work as hard as I can to get through this, heal properly, and come back stronger,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n The singer\u2019s decision to step back comes just one week before the release of KATSEYE\u2019s new EP Wild, and six months after groupmate Manon Bannerman<\/a> announced her own temporary hiatus, citing a focus on her health and well-being.<\/p>\n KATSEYE (with Laforteza second from right) at the Grammy Awards in February 2026.Credit: Etienne Laurent \/ AFP via Getty<\/p>\n KATSEYE played without Bannerman at Coachella<\/a> in April, and Laforteza told Allure<\/a> in June that she\u2019s always welcome to return, but will have to do so in her own time.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause we did announce that it is about her well-being, it\u2019s not our place or anybody else\u2019s place to rush her,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want to give her all the time that she needs, all the space that she needs, and so we don\u2019t want to make any assumptions, set anything in stone\u2026 She really deserves that and the door is always open.\u201d<\/p>\n Laforteza has previously been open about her ADHD diagnosis, saying on a livestream<\/a> in May that it often makes her life \u201cdifficult\u201d and causes \u201ca lot of internal restlessness,\u201d plus trouble sleeping and focusing.<\/p>\n \u201cI go to a psychiatrist, I have a psychologist. I talk to a therapist all the time,\u201d she said. \u201cBut yeah, it\u2019s a real thing.\u201d<\/p>\n KATSEYE \u2014 which also includes Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel and Yoonchae \u2014 released their debut EP in 2024 after forming on the reality competition series Dream Academy, and have been nominated for two Grammy Awards<\/a>, including Best New Artist.<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Sophia\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/553a2ccd-be6f-4738-9016-427bd7e98f79.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"KATSEYE](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3e187048-7907-4b3c-a244-a7bdba7ca049.jpg\"\/)
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