The global girl group Katseye was supposed to be having a moment.
Fresh off their historic 2026 Grammys appearance, becoming the first girl group in over two decades to hit that stage, the six-member group had all the markers of pop dominance with viral singles like “Touch,” “Gnarly,” and “Gabriela,” brand deals with GAP, Laneige, and Matrix, and a rapidly expanding international fanbase.
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But instead of celebrating a breakthrough year, Katseye is now at the center of a growing controversy that feels all too familiar.
On Feb. 20, 2026, Hybe x Geffen announced that Manon Bannerman, one of the group’s most visible and beloved members, would be going on a temporary hiatus for what was framed as mental health reasons. Fans were surprised but initially supportive.
Then Manon spoke.
In a brief but loaded statement, she told fans she was “healthy” and that “things unfold in ways that we don’t fully understand.” And just like that, the narrative shifted. What was first presented as a routine industry pause quickly became a trigger for a broader conversation about race, visibility, and how Black women are treated inside global girl groups. Because for a lot of fans, this didn’t come out of nowhere.
Online, supporters began resurfacing moments they say point to a pattern. In music videos, Manon appeared less centered or partially obscured. In promotional campaigns, she was sometimes missing altogether. And in the group’s 2024 documentary Popstar Academy: Katseye, she was frequently framed as “lazy,” “selfish,” or the “weakest link.” This is a narrative that many fans now see as racially coded and familiar.
That’s why the response hasn’t just been about Katseye. It’s been about history. Artists like Normani of Fifth Harmony and Leigh-Anne Pinnock of Little Mix, both of whom have publicly spoken about being the only Black women in their respective groups, have shown support. So have artists like SZA, Kehlani, Chlöe Bailey, and rising voices like Chase Infiniti.
For many fans, this feels like a recurring story where the Black girl in the group is often hyper-visible and invisible at the same time. She is scrutinized more harshly, praised less consistently, and positioned as expendable when tensions arise. She’s expected to carry the weight of representation while navigating an industry that still struggles with how to market, protect, and fully embrace Black femininity on a global stage.
It didn’t help that Daniella Avanzini’s father, Rafael Avanzini, added fuel to the fire with comments suggesting the group would be fine with five members and that it “needs girls who can grind.” Though he later apologized, the damage was already done, especially in a moment where fans were already questioning how Manon was being positioned behind the scenes.
Now, with Hybe x Geffen remaining silent and no public statements from the group’s other members, fans are left reading between the lines.
Manon, for her part, has kept her message simple, telling supporters she “loves her fans more than words can describe.” But the uncertainty surrounding her hiatus, and whether she’ll return for Katseye’s upcoming Coachella performance in April, has only intensified the conversation.
Because at this point, the question isn’t just “Where is Manon?” It’s why this keeps happening. Why does the only Black member so often become the most contested one? Why are narratives of “attitude,” “laziness,” or “not fitting in” so easily attached? And why do fans have to piece together patterns before the industry acknowledges them?
Katseye may have been built on the idea of global unity between six women, with different backgrounds, one sound. But this moment is revealing the fractures beneath that image. For many fans watching closely, it’s no longer just about one group. It’s about an industry that still hasn’t figured out how to treat Black women as full, protected, and central, not optional, in the story.
Kannon Trowell is a journalism major at Howard University. She is interested in entertainment reporting. You can follow her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/kannontrowell
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