LOS ANGELES, Feb. 24 -- In the meticulously curated world of K-pop-inspired girl groups, few things cause as much turbulence as a member's sudden departure from the spotlight. For KATSEYE, the ambitious global project jointly run by HYBE and Geffen Records, that turbulence arrived in late February 2026. What began as a formal announcement of member Manon Bannerman's "temporary hiatus" has since spiraled into a maelstrom of fan speculation, leaked documents, family drama, and a painful, necessary conversation about the treatment of Black women in the pop industry.

On February 20, 2026, the official KATSEYE community channel on Weverse posted a joint statement from HYBE and Geffen (collectively known as HxG). The message was clean and supp...