Girl group KATSEYE expressed support for members Sophia Laforteza and Manon Bannerman as they take health breaks during promotions for their Wild EP.
The remaining band members shared their feelings on stage following a performance on NBC television program Today on Aug. 14, 2026. Speaking with host Craig Melvin, member Lara Raj addressed the temporary absences of her costars.
"As KATSEYE, it’s so important to us to always prioritize our well-being," Raj said. "We stand by Sophia and Manon through and through. We ride for them."
When asked if the group had a direct message for Laforteza and Bannerman, Raj added, "We love you guys so much, always." Bandmates Megan Skiendiel, Daniela Avanzini and Yoonchae Jeong expressed their agreement by blowing kisses and making heart hands.
Sophia Laforteza Health Break
The stage update came one week after management company HYBE x Geffen Records announced on Aug. 7 that Laforteza would be temporarily stepping away from group activities. A statement published on KATSEYE’s official website confirmed she would be "temporarily unable to participate in upcoming promotional activities."
"We understand how much EYEKONS were looking forward to seeing Sophia on stage," the record label statement continued, referencing the group's fanbase name, "but it is imperative that her mental health and wellness are prioritized."
Management emphasized that while the 23-year-old singer is eager to continue, medical professionals advised her to "take dedicated time for extended rest and ongoing care to ensure a full recovery." Her hiatus will last until September, at which time company officials will reassess her condition and provide an update to fans.
Following the official announcement, Laforteza addressed her supporters on Instagram Stories. She wrote that it "truly breaks my heart to have to miss out on a lot," adding that "making this decision wasn't easy," but she is "learning that health has to come first."
Mental Health and New EP
Laforteza marks the second member of KATSEYE to step back from group responsibilities this year. Bandmate Manon Bannerman announced in February 2026 that she would take a "temporary hiatus" from the girl group "to focus on her health and wellbeing."
Mental health is a central priority for the band and forms a primary theme in their new music. The group is currently promoting their new EP, titled Wild, alongside a companion documentary titled Wild Hearts.
Skiendiel explained the group's perspective during their interview on Today, noting that mental wellness is "[it’s] 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 said. "But in reality, we’re just a bunch of girls still trying to grow up and grow into ourselves."
Formation Through Dream Academy
KATSEYE was formed through the 2023 reality competition series The Debut: Dream Academy. The show was a joint venture between South Korean entertainment company Hybe, the label behind K-pop group BTS, and American label Geffen Records.
The competition brought together 20 global contestants who underwent intensive training. Hybe chairman Bang Si-hyuk described the goal as creating "an international group based on K-pop methodology."
The extensive selection process and multi-year candidate training were later chronicled in the Netflix documentary series Pop Star Academy: Katseye.
Group Leader Sophia Laforteza
Laforteza serves as the leader of KATSEYE. Born on Dec. 31, 2002, to actress Carla Guevara Laforteza and chef Godfrey Laforteza, she began performing at an early age. She made an appearance alongside her mother on Philippine talk show She Said, She Said at age 5.
Representing the Philippines, Laforteza was selected from 120,000 applicants worldwide. She consistently impressed Dream Academy judges with her performances and earned high fan voting scores, ultimately finishing in first place during the finale with a top score of 88.33.
Her temporary hiatus in August 2026 was requested so she could focus on her physical and mental health.
Lara Raj and Daniela Avanzini
Lara Raj was born on Nov. 3, 2005, in Connecticut. She began vocal lessons, acting training and dance classes in Dallas, Texas, during her early childhood. "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 told Voyage LA magazine in 2020.
Raj moved to New York City as a teenager to attend Professional Performing Arts School and Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, whose notable alumni include actors Jennifer Aniston and Timothée Chalamet. She booked an appearance on television series The Blacklist in 2018 before being scouted for Dream Academy through social media singing videos.
Producers on Pop Star Academy described her as "a vocalist that will sell out stadiums." Under her suggestion, the group spelled KATSEYE with a "K." Raj secured second place in the competition with a score of 82.67.
Daniela Avanzini was born on July 1, 2004, and represented the United States. She began performing at a young age, appearing on America's Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation, as well as a 2013 episode of The Queen Latifah Show in an "America's Most Talented Kids" segment. Recognized by producers as the competition's strongest technical dancer, she placed third in the finale with a score of 79.00.
Yoonchae Jeong and Megan Skiendiel
Yoonchae was born Jeung Yoon-chae on Dec. 6, 2007, in South Korea. Growing up as a fan of K-pop group BLACKPINK, she trained for two years with management company WakeOne. Joining Dream Academy at age 15, she noted that her biggest challenge was "trying to learn more about the other members’ cultures."
Speaking to Billboard Philippines in 2025, Yoonchae said, "Of course, another challenge for me was embracing English as a language, especially since I was not used to it before. I’d like to think that I made some progress there." She placed fourth in the finale with a score of 78.00.
Megan Skiendiel was born on Feb. 10, 2006, in Hawaii. Before entering Dream Academy, she worked as an actor, appearing as an extra in the 2015 movie Jurassic World and holding minor roles on television shows Raven's Home, Sydney to the Max and Bosch: Legacy. As one of the earliest candidates in Pop Star Academy, she finished fifth in the finale with a score of 68.33. Skiendiel previously took a brief break in September 2024 due to a back injury related to scoliosis.
Manon Bannerman
Manon Bannerman was born Meret Manon Sarpong Bannerman on June 26, 2002, in Switzerland. At age 15, while studying abroad in the United States, she adopted her middle name. "At school, they pronounced Meret so strangely," she told Swiss-German 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 experience. Producers brought her to Los Angeles to train, and she became the final member added to KATSEYE, placing sixth with a score of 68.00. Bannerman announced her temporary break in February 2026 to "focus on her health and wellbeing."
