KATSEYE's Sophia Laforteza becomes second member to take hiatus: Full timeline explained

KATSEYE are entering one of the busiest phases of their career with only four members on stage. Just hours before their scheduled headline performance at the Head in the Clouds Music and Arts Festival at the Rose Bowl, the group's leader Sophia Laforteza announced that she would temporarily step away from group activities to focus on her mental health and wellbeing.

The announcement, made by HYBE and Geffen through Weverse on August 7, came barely a week before KATSEYE are set to release their upcoming EP 'Wild'. It also means the group will continue as a quartet comprising Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel and Yoonchae Jeung, while Sophia takes time away under medical advice.

The development is particularly significant because Sophia's hiatus follows that of Manon Bannerman, who has been away from KATSEYE activities since February. With neither of the group's two oldest members currently performing, questions about the future of the six-member act have inevitably intensified.

Why is Sophia Laforteza taking a hiatus?

According to HYBE and Geffen, Sophia's decision followed consultations with medical professionals. The labels said she had been receiving medical support and was advised to take an extended period of rest and continue with her care.

The statement stressed that Sophia continues to have the group's support and that her health and long-term wellbeing are the priority. Her condition is expected to be reassessed in September, meaning there is currently no confirmed date for her return to group activities.

Sophia also addressed fans herself, explaining why stepping away was necessary despite her love for performing.

"It truly breaks my heart to have to miss out on a lot," she wrote. "You know how much I love being on stage, performing, and sharing these moments with you. Making this decision wasn’t easy, but I’m learning that health has to come first. I'm realising that 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."

Her announcement came after she had already missed the premiere of KATSEYE's documentary 'Wild Hearts' in Los Angeles and a recent festival appearance.

Sophia had previously spoken about her mental health

The latest announcement is not the first time Sophia has discussed her mental wellbeing publicly.

During a Weverse livestream in May, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with ADHD around the time KATSEYE debuted in 2024. She spoke about the challenges associated with the condition, including difficulty concentrating, hyperfocus, internal restlessness and problems with sleep.

"I have ADHD, like, diagnosed with ADHD," she said during the livestream. "I don’t think people know how difficult having ADHD is. It really is difficult."

Sophia also said she receives professional support from a psychiatrist, psychologist and therapist.

Her comments came months after she and her bandmates discussed the intense online scrutiny surrounding KATSEYE. In a BBC interview in November 2025, the members spoke about the thousands of death threats and hostile comments they had received online.

"No human is supposed to receive that much feedback on something that they’ve created," Sophia said at the time. "We're learning to sort of do what we want, work as hard as we can, know that we just did something we love and try to stay off of that."

Manon's hiatus came first

Sophia's decision to step away follows a similar move by Manon, who announced a temporary hiatus from KATSEYE activities in February 2026 to concentrate on her health and wellbeing.

Before that announcement, Manon's frequent absence from rehearsals, appearances and performances had fuelled speculation that she could leave the group. She rejected those rumours in an interview with The Cut, saying she was not planning to quit KATSEYE.

Manon also spoke about the criticism she had faced, particularly after the release of Netflix's 'Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE'. She said being labelled lazy was particularly difficult as the group's only Black member.

"Being called lazy, especially as a Black girl, is not fair," she said. "Now I feel like I always need to put in extra work to prove something, even though I really don’t."

She also said she did not want KATSEYE to break up, referring to the emotional impact One Direction's split had on fans.

"When One Direction split, that was really hard," she said. "I don’t want our fans to go through that. I don’t want to be responsible for breaking so many hearts."

What happened after Manon's hiatus?

KATSEYE confirmed on February 20 that Manon would temporarily step away from group activities. The group said the remaining members would continue performing while supporting her decision.

Manon subsequently reassured fans that she was doing well.

"Hi friends. I want you to hear this from me, I’m healthy, I’m okay, and I’m taking care of myself," she wrote on Weverse.

"Sometimes things unfold in ways we don’t fully control, but I’m trusting the bigger picture. Thank you for standing by me. I love you endlessly and can’t wait to see you again."

In April, Manon said she was having positive discussions with HYBE and Geffen and that she felt supported. She also said she was healthy and happy, while suggesting that she would share more information at a later stage.

Despite that, she did not return to KATSEYE's performances.

Manon's absence became more visible

The group's activities continued without Manon, including their Coachella debut in April. She was not part of KATSEYE's performance, although she was reportedly present at the festival as a spectator.

Manon was also absent from the music video for 'Pinky Up', which arrived in April, and later did not feature in the group's 'Animal' era.

Her absence was also noticed in KATSEYE's Gap campaign. While six hoodies were included in the collection, Manon did not appear in the accompanying group or individual campaign photographs.

The situation led to renewed discussion among fans about whether her temporary break would eventually become a permanent departure.

However, there has been no official confirmation that Manon is leaving KATSEYE.

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Sophia defended Manon's decision to take her time

One of the strongest indications that the group continued to view Manon's return as an open possibility came from Sophia herself.

In an interview with Allure in June, Sophia said neither the members nor fans should pressure Manon to return before she was ready.

"Because we did announce that [the hiatus] is about her well-being, it’s not our place or anybody else’s place to rush her," Sophia told the publication. "We want to give her all the time that she needs, all the space that she needs, and so we don’t want to make any assumptions, set anything in stone… She really deserves that, and the door is always open."

Sophia added: "We love her and the fans love her. The people love her. They love KATSEYE," Sophia added. "If I was in their place I would be asking too, and so we understand. But what we can say is that we wish that you could just keep extending love and support and patience and all those things, because all of us deserve that. Anybody does."

That interview now carries additional significance, with Sophia herself becoming the second KATSEYE member to take an extended break.

When did Sophia's absence become noticeable?

Sophia's hiatus announcement came after a series of recent appearances without her.

She did not take part in KATSEYE's July 30 performance at the Hinterland Music Festival. She was also absent from the Los Angeles premiere of 'Wild Hearts', the group's documentary.

At the documentary premiere, Lara stepped into a more prominent spokesperson role. She also addressed questions surrounding Manon's appearance in footage from the documentary, maintaining that it was not the group's place to speculate about whether or when their bandmate would return.

With Sophia now also away, Lara, Daniela, Megan and Yoonchae will represent KATSEYE at the group's immediate performances and promotional commitments.

What does Sophia's hiatus mean for 'Wild'?

Sophia's break comes at a crucial point in KATSEYE's release calendar.

The group's next EP, 'Wild', is scheduled to arrive on August 14, just one week after the hiatus announcement. The four remaining members are therefore expected to handle the initial promotional activities for the release without Sophia.

The timing is significant because KATSEYE have built their profile rapidly through a series of singles and EPs rather than a full-length studio album. The group is yet to release its debut studio album.

Their latest single, 'Animal', written by Ed Sheeran, was released on July 24 and made its Billboard Hot 100 debut at No. 24. The track also reached No. 5 on Spotify's Daily Global Chart after recording more than 3 million streams on its first day.

KATSEYE's biggest test could be their upcoming tour

The most immediate challenge extends beyond the 'Wild' promotional cycle.

KATSEYE are scheduled to launch their first headlining world tour in September. The tour includes two nights at Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena in November, among the group's biggest upcoming live commitments.

Sophia's medical reassessment is expected in September, meaning her status could become particularly important as the tour gets under way.

For now, there is no confirmed return date for either Sophia or Manon.

From six members to four

KATSEYE were formed through HYBE and Geffen's global audition project 'The Debut: Dream Academy'. The original six-member line-up consisted of Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia and Yoonchae.

The group has since become one of the most prominent global girl groups to emerge from the project, building an international audience through songs including 'Gnarly', 'Pinky Up' and 'Animal'.

Their rise has also come with intense scrutiny. The members have spoken repeatedly about online criticism, pressure surrounding their performances and the challenges of being constantly observed by fans and critics.

Now, two members are away at the same time.

While both Sophia and Manon's breaks have been described as temporary, neither has a confirmed return date. For KATSEYE, that leaves four members carrying the group through a major release, festival performances and an approaching world tour.