Members of global girl group KATSEYE have spoken about navigating the recent hiatuses of bandmates Sophia Laforteza and Manon Bannerman while continuing to grow together as a performing unit.
Group members Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Daniela Avanzini and Yoonchae Jeong admitted in an interview published by Billboard on Sept. 28 that they have learned to adapt to unexpected changes within the Grammy-nominated group following the temporary departures of Laforteza and Bannerman.
"We've learned that supporting each other isn't always about having the right answer," KATSEYE explained to Billboard. "Sometimes it's just being there and reminding each other that we're not alone."
The singers added that they are learning to offer grace to one another during difficult times and remain intentional about ensuring every member feels comfortable being completely themselves. "We're still growing as individuals and as a group," the band said, "and we're learning to embrace that along the way."
"We've grown so much since our debut," KATSEYE stated, noting that they are excited for fans to experience their growth on stage.
Navigating Member Hiatuses and Mental Health
Laforteza and Bannerman both decided to step away temporarily from group activities to focus on their health. Bannerman announced her break in February 2026 to focus on her health and well-being, while Laforteza announced a temporary hiatus in August 2026 to prioritize her physical and mental health.
Their bandmates expressed full support for the decisions. Speaking on Today in August, Raj stated, "As KATSEYE, it's so important to us to always prioritize our well-being. We stand by Sophia and Manon through and through. We ride for them."
Mental health has become a key focus for the group both in their daily lives and in their music. Skiendiel noted that mental health is "something that a lot of people struggle with."
"It's so easy to see us from the outside perspective and be like, 'Oh my god, they have everything sorted out and figured out,'" Skiendiel added. "But in reality, we're just a bunch of girls still trying to grow up and grow into ourselves."
The group previously faced schedule adjustments when Megan Skiendiel took a brief break in September 2024 due to a back injury related to scoliosis, a condition causing lateral curvature of the spine. KATSEYE also previously dropped out of a performance at an Olivia Rodrigo concert after Skiendiel was unable to perform.
How KATSEYE Was Formed
KATSEYE was created through the 2023 reality competition show The Debut: Dream Academy, a joint project between South Korean entertainment agency Hybe, the label behind K-pop group BTS, and American record company Geffen Records.
The competition brought together 20 candidates from around the world to undergo training and challenges aimed at forming what Hybe chairman Bang Si-hyuk described as "an international group based on K-pop methodology." The selection process and years-long preparation were chronicled in the Netflix documentary series Pop Star Academy: Katseye.
Sophia Laforteza
Sophia Laforteza serves as the leader of KATSEYE. Born in the Philippines on Dec. 31, 2002, to actress Carla Guevara Laforteza and chef Godfrey Laforteza, she began performing at a young age, including an appearance alongside her mother on the Philippine talk show She Said, She Said when she was 5 years old.
Selected from a pool of 120,000 international applicants to represent the Philippines on Dream Academy, Laforteza consistently earned top ratings from judges and fans. She secured her place in KATSEYE by finishing first in the show finale with an overall top score of 88.33.
Lara Raj
Lara Raj was born in Connecticut on Nov. 3, 2005. She pursued performing arts early in life, taking vocal, acting and dance lessons in Dallas, Texas, where she spent her early childhood.
"I began vocal lessons, acting training and dance classes in Dallas, Texas, where I spent my early childhood," Raj told Voyage LA magazine in 2020. "I spent years performing with the Septien Entertainment Group there at venues like the House of Blues, Hard Rock Cafe, American Airlines Center, Six Flags and various music festivals."
She later moved to New York City to attend the Professional Performing Arts School and Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, an institution whose notable alumni include Jennifer Aniston and Timothée Chalamet. While in New York, she auditioned for acting and modeling jobs, securing an appearance on a 2018 episode of the television drama The Blacklist.
Producers scouted Raj for Dream Academy after discovering her singing videos on social media, believing she was "a vocalist that will sell out stadiums." Raj, who suggested spelling the group's name with a "K", placed second in the finale with a score of 82.67.
Daniela Avanzini
Daniela Avanzini was born on July 1, 2004, and built extensive dance experience before joining Dream Academy. Representing the United States, she had previously competed on America's Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation, and appeared in a 2013 episode of The Queen Latifah Show as part of an "America's Most Talented Kids" segment.
During competition training, producers recognized Avanzini as the strongest technical dancer in the group. She earned third place in the finale with a score of 79.00.
Yoonchae Jeong
Yoonchae Jeong, born Jeung Yoon-chae on Dec. 6, 2007, in South Korea, is the youngest member of KATSEYE. Growing up listening to K-pop groups like BLACKPINK, she trained as a tween for two years under South Korean management agency WakeOne before entering Dream Academy at age 15.
Yoonchae noted that her primary hurdles were adapting to different cultures and gaining fluency in English. "Of course, another challenge for me was embracing English as a language, especially since I was not used to it before," she told Billboard Philippines in 2025. "I'd like to think that I made some progress there."
She achieved fourth place in the Dream Academy finale with a final score of 78.00.
Megan Skiendiel
Megan Skiendiel, born on Feb. 10, 2006, in Hawaii, accumulated performance experience across dance, vocals and acting before joining the show. She worked as an extra in the 2015 feature film Jurassic World and appeared in minor roles on television series including Raven's Home, Sydney to the Max and Bosch: Legacy.
As one of the earliest candidates to begin training for the competition, Skiendiel placed fifth in the finale with a score of 68.33.
Manon Bannerman
Manon Bannerman was born Meret Manon Sarpong Bannerman on June 26, 2002, in Switzerland. She began using her middle name at age 15 while attending an exchange program in the United States.
"At school, they pronounced Meret so strangely," she told Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger in 2023. "So I switched to Manon. That worked better."
Hybe casting manager Michelle Kim scouted Bannerman on social media while Bannerman was living in Switzerland with minimal dance training. Producers invited her to Los Angeles to train, and she ultimately became the final member added to KATSEYE, finishing sixth in the finale with a score of 68.00.
