Manon Has Removed Katseye from Her Instagram Bio

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After removing Katseye from her Instagram bio, member Manon Bannerman has shared a message thanking fans for their support during her “temporary hiatus” from the girl group.

“Thank you so much for all the love and support you’ve been sending my way,” she wrote in an April 2 statement posted to the fan platform Weverse. “I’m really grateful for the patience and kindness everyone has shown during this time.”

The 23-year-old also seemingly confirmed that she hasn’t stepped away from the group permanently, revealing she’s still in contact with HYBE and Geffen Records (HxG), the record labels behind Katseye.

“HxG and I are having positive conversations and I feel supported,” she continued. “I’ll share more soon. Thank you for always being there for me.”

Bannerman’s statement comes after she removed any mention of Katseye from her Instagram bio earlier that day (her bio now simply reads, “mademoiselle manzanita”). Meanwhile, when the group released a teaser for the group’s new song “Pinky Up” that same day, many Eyekons noticed that Bannerman was absent from the clip.

Back in February, Katseye sparked controversy when the group released a social media statement announcing that Bannerman was taking a hiatus “to focus on her health and wellbeing.”

“Katseye remains committed to showing up for one another and for the fans who mean everything to us,” the statement continued. “The group will continue scheduled activities during this time, and we look forward to being together again when the time is right.”

Shortly afterward, Bannerman released her own statement to Weverse, telling fans that she was “healthy” and “taking care of” herself.

“Sometimes things unfold in ways we don’t fully control, but I’m trusting the bigger picture,” she added.

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Bride Alex Warren said she felt “so radiant and real and lucky.”

However, Katseye fans soon began speculating that Hybe was setting Bannerman up for a permanent exit, and that the hiatus hadn’t been her decision. Some Eyekons have argued that as the only Black woman in the group — Bannerman is Swiss-Ghanaian — the label’s speculated mistreatment of her marks an unsettling, anti-Black pattern in the music industry.

Many fans have pointed out that they feel Bannerman has been unfairly sidelined by the group, from not being visible in an Instagram post featuring Katseye’s Glossier billboard ad to not being featured in the “Gabriela” music video.

“Growing up as a girl group super fan, it felt like the Black members who offered me a semblance of representation were treated like diversity-quota-filling afterthoughts by their management, marketers, and certain fans,” Annabel Iwegbue wrote in an essay for Cosmopolitan. “This track record is what, to me, made Manon’s role in Katseye feel revolutionary during the group’s nascent era.”

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Originally Appeared on them.