For the second time in less than six months, a member of the Grammy-nominated girl group Katseye has stepped away from public life to tend to her mental health — a quiet but telling signal of the weight young performers carry in the global music industry. Sophia Laforteza's departure follows bandmate Manon Bannerman's February hiatus, leaving the group to continue with four of its original six members. Behind the headlines of chart success and Grammy nominations lies a more human story: that the machinery of modern pop stardom, amplified by online hostility including death threats, can exact a
Katseye loses second member as Sophia Laforteza steps back for mental health
Two band members have withdrawn from public duties due to mental health crises; group members have received multiple online death threats.
Health has to come first. I won't be able to keep doing what I love.
Mark
Why does this matter now? Girl groups have members come and go all the time.
Mimi
Because this isn't turnover—it's crisis. Two members in six months, both citing mental health. That's not normal churn. That's a signal that something about how the industry is running these artists is breaking them.
Mark
But the label says they're getting support, medical care, rest. Isn't that the right response?
Mimi
It is, and it's good they're doing it. But it also means the damage was already done. The support came after the breaking point, not before. And there's the death threats—that's not a minor detail. That's part of the pressure cooker these young performers live in.
Mark
Do we know what specifically pushed Laforteza to this decision?
Mimi
No. And that's actually important. We don't know if it was the touring schedule, the online harassment, personal circumstances, or some combination. The vagueness itself tells you something: mental health crises don't announce themselves with a single cause. They accumulate.
Mark
What happens to the group now?
Mimi
They keep going with four members. But there's a real question underneath: if two out of six founding members have needed to step away, what does that say about whether this model is sustainable? And when—or if—Bannerman and Laforteza come back, will the conditions that broke them have changed?
Mark
The fans seem supportive based on what you've written.
Mimi
They are. But fans can't fix the industry structure. They can only watch and hope the label actually means what it says about prioritizing wellbeing over profit.
Der Puls
- Katseye now operates with only four of its six founding members, as Sophia Laforteza becomes the second artist in 2026 to step back from the group due to mental health concerns.
- The band has faced not only the relentless pressures of global promotion but also a pattern of online death threats since their debut — a toxic undercurrent beneath their rapid rise.
- Laforteza's label, HYBE x Geffen Records, has paused her promotional commitments and scheduled a reassessment for September, signaling a cautious, medically guided timeline rather than a rushed return.
- Manon Bannerman, who announced her own hiatus in February, has yet to return to active duty, leaving the group's long-term lineup an open question.
- The remaining four members must now sustain the group's momentum while the industry and fanbase watch closely to see whether Katseye can hold together under compounding strain.
For the second time in less than six months, a member of the Grammy-nominated girl group Katseye has stepped away from public life to tend to her mental health — a quiet but telling signal of the weight young performers carry in the global music industry. Sophia Laforteza's departure follows bandmate Manon Bannerman's February hiatus, leaving the group to continue with four of its original six members. Behind the headlines of chart success and Grammy nominations lies a more human story: that the machinery of modern pop stardom, amplified by online hostility including death threats, can exact a profound toll on those it elevates.
Sophia Laforteza, vocalist for the Grammy-nominated girl group Katseye, has announced a temporary step back from the band to focus on her mental health — the second such departure in under six months, following bandmate Manon Bannerman's hiatus in February.
Laforteza will sit out upcoming promotional activities while receiving medical care, with her label HYBE x Geffen Records indicating her condition will be reassessed in September. In a personal statement on Instagram, she described the decision as difficult but necessary, framing her recovery not as a retreat but as the foundation she needs to sustain the work she loves.
Katseye formed in 2023 with six members and rose quickly — earning Grammy nominations and producing international hits. Yet alongside that success has come a darker reality: members have received multiple death threats since their debut, a reminder of the hostile pressures that accompany global visibility for young performers.
Bannerman, who stepped away in February citing her health and wellbeing, has not yet returned to active duty, though her place in the group remains open. With Laforteza now also absent, Katseye moves forward as a four-member group — navigating both the practical challenge of reduced capacity and the deeper question of whether the industry structures surrounding them can be made sustainable for the people at their center.
Sophia Laforteza, the vocalist for the Grammy-nominated girl group Katseye, announced this week that she would step back from the band temporarily to focus on her mental health. The decision marks the second significant departure from the ensemble in less than six months, following bandmate Manon Bannerman's hiatus announcement in February.
Laforteza will not participate in the group's upcoming promotional activities while she receives medical care and takes extended time away from public duties. Her label, HYBE x Geffen Records, said in a statement that her condition would be reassessed in September, with the door left open for her eventual return. The label emphasized that prioritizing the artist's wellbeing outweighed the disappointment fans might feel at missing her performances.
In her own statement posted to Instagram, Laforteza described the choice as difficult but necessary. She wrote that she had come to understand that caring for her mental and physical health had to come before everything else—that without that foundation, she wouldn't be able to sustain the work she loves most. She promised fans she would dedicate herself fully to recovery and return stronger.
Katseye formed in 2023 with six members and quickly gained international attention, earning Grammy nominations last year and producing global hits including "Gnarly," "Pinky Up," and "Gabriela." The group's fanbase, known as EYEKONS, has been vocal in their support for the members. But the band has also faced a darker side of online attention: members have received multiple death threats since their debut, a reality that underscores the intense pressures facing young performers in the global music industry.
Bannerman, the 23-year-old Swiss singer who took her own hiatus in February, told fans at the time that she was taking care of herself and focusing on her health and wellbeing. The label said that decision had come after open conversations among the group members. She has not returned to active duty, though the label has indicated her position remains available whenever she is ready.
With Laforteza's departure, Katseye will now move forward with four of its original six members. The group's label reiterated that the health, safety, and long-term wellbeing of its artists would always be the highest priority, even when that means scaling back public appearances and promotional schedules. For a band still in its early years, navigating two significant member absences while maintaining momentum presents a considerable challenge—one that will likely test both the resilience of the remaining members and the patience of a fanbase eager to see the group perform at full strength.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Health has to come first. If I don't take care of my mind and body now, I won't be able to keep doing what I love the most for so long.— Sophia Laforteza, in a statement on Instagram
The health, safety, and long-term well-being of our artists will always remain our highest priority.— HYBE x Geffen Records, in a statement
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