\n\tLast week (Feb. 20), KATSEYE sent shockwaves through the global music industry with the announcement that Manon, one of its buzziest members, would be taking a hiatus<\/a> to \u201cfocus on her mental health and wellbeing.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBorn in Switzerland, Manon (full name: Manon Bannerman) first gained notoriety through sharing fashion and lifestyle videos on TikTok and Instagram in 2021. Her departure has rocked KATSEYE\u2019s fanbase, as well as the culture, largely because of her status as the group\u2019s sole Black member. The current situation has triggered reflections on professional and fan-driven anti-Black slights that impacted the industry experiences of Normani (Fifth Harmony\u2019s sole Black member), Leigh-Anne (Little Mix\u2019s sole Black member) and Melody Thornton (The Pussycat Dolls\u2019 sole Black member).<\/p>\n \n\tThe initial announcement of Manon\u2019s hiatus came via the KATSEYE fan community on\u00a0Weverse<\/a>\u00a0in a post shared at 6:45 p.m. ET Friday night by HYBE and Geffen.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAfter open and thoughtful conversations together, we are sharing that Manon will be taking a temporary hiatus from group activities to focus on her health and wellbeing,\u201d the message reads. \u201cWe fully support this decision. KATSEYE remains committed to showing up for one another and for the fans who mean everything to us. The group will continue scheduled activities during this time, and we look forward to being together again when the time is right. Thank you to our EYEKONS for your continued love, patience, and understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tA few hours later, Manon allegedly shared<\/a> her own statement through Weverse DMs, writing, \u201cI\u2019m healthy, I\u2019m okay, and I\u2019m taking care of myself. Thank u for checking in! Sometimes things unfold in ways we don\u2019t fully control, but I\u2019m trusting the bigger picture.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAlthough the group is currently prepping for its Coachella debut in April, none of the other five KATSEYE members have spoken out about Manon\u2019s temporary hiatus. In a Feb. 17 interview, Manon told The Cut, \u201cBeing called lazy, especially as a Black girl, is not fair. Now I feel like I always need to put in extra work to prove something, even though I really don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tFormed through the reality competition series\u00a0The Debut: Dream Academy in 2023, KATSEYE has quickly scaled the music industry ladder, meaningfully breaking through with its 2025 Beautiful Chaos EP. With that project, the six-piece global girl group earned its first two Billboard Hot 100<\/a> hits: \u201cGnarly\u201d (No. 82) and \u201cGabriela\u201d (No. 26).<\/p>\n \n\tNotably, \u201cGabriela\u201d also earned the group a Grammy nomination for best pop duo\/group performance, which it ultimately lost to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande\u2019s \u201cDefying Gravity\u201d \u2014 earlier this month (Feb. 1). KATSEYE also earned a nod for best new artist, though Olivia Dean ended up taking that trophy home.<\/p>\n \n\tIn the days following HYBE and Geffen\u2019s shocking announcement, several music stars have publicly supported Manon by following her Instagram in recent days, including RAYE, London On Da Track, Halle Bailey and Normani.<\/p>\n \n\tKeep reading for a full round-up of celebrities who have shown support for Manon following her hiatus announcement.<\/p>\n \n\tThe Little Mix alum, who coincidentally dropped her debut solo LP (My Ego Told Me To) the same day as Manon\u2019s hiatus announcement (Feb. 20), took to X to share her support for the KATSEYE star.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe need to protect each other,\u201d she replied to a fan who noted that she, Manon and Normani had all followed each other on Instagram in light of recent events.<\/p>\n \n\tIn 2021, Leigh-Anne teamed up with director Natasha Guant for Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop & Power, a documentary chronicling her experiences with racism and colorism in the music industry. The doc also featured an appearance by Keisha Buchanan, the sole Black member of Sugababes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \n\tManon hasn\u2019t posted to her Instagram feed<\/a> in over a week, but that didn\u2019t stop SZA from heading to the comment section of the most recent picture to share some words of support. Alongside two sweet emojis (a hug and a pink heart), the Grammy winner wrote, \u201cPerfect girl\u201d on Sunday (Feb. 22).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \n\tLike SZA, Kehlani also ran to Manon\u2019s most recent IG post to show her some love, proclaiming, \u201cBall out time\u201d in all-caps on Tuesday (Feb. 24).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \n\tOn Monday (Feb. 23), Grammy-winning comedian Tiffany Haddish added her voice to the choir of Manon support, writing, \u201cQueen tings,\u201d under her most recent Instagram post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \n\tGrammy-nominated singer-producer Chloe Bailey, who\u2019s one-half of the sister duo Chloe x Halle, took to her official Discord<\/a> server, writing, \u201cI\u2019m sad about Manon\u201d on Sunday (Feb. 22).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \n\tShade, one of two Black members from rising boy band Soulidified (which was formed through Netflix\u2019s Building the Band), posted a heartfelt video message to his TikTok page, opening up about his own experiences battling racism in the pop music sphere.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cTo Manon, if this video reaches her in any way, I get you,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel you, and I understand. I\u2019m with you, and I support you, and I stand with you because these people don\u2019t know how hard it is to be Black in a group where everybody\u2019s not Black. If you don\u2019t understand what I\u2019m saying, your awareness is probably trash because it\u2019s been happening in groups \u2014 and it\u2019s just been happening since the beginning of American history.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Billboard](\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/2HpFicp.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\n
Leigh-Anne<\/h2>\n
SZA<\/h2>\n
Kehlani<\/h2>\n
Tiffany Haddish<\/h2>\n
Chl\u00f6e Bailey<\/h2>\n
Shade of Soulidified<\/h2>\n