Um, did Dani’s dad just confirm that Manon isn’t actually coming back to KATSEYE?!

The controversy around KATSEYE member Manon’s hiatus has taken yet another messy turn, and this time, people think Daniela’s dad may have just implied she’s not coming back at all.

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KATSEYE, the HYBE-Geffen global girl group formed through the 2023 audition show project The Debut: Dream Academy, announced over the weekend that Manon, 23, would be stepping back from activities to focus on her health. In a statement shared via Weverse on Saturday, the group said she would take a “temporary hiatus”, while the remaining members continue scheduled promotions.

Temporary hiatuses are hardly unusual in K-pop, but the situation escalated days later when social media comments widely attributed to Daniela’s father, Rafael Avanzini, began circulating online.

In screenshots that quickly spread across X, the account wrote: “THE SHOW MUST GO ON! With or without a member. KATSEYE IS BIGGER THAN ONE GIRL.” In a separate reply to fans speculating about the lineup, he allegedly added: “5 is ok too.”

Instagram

People interpreted the remarks as dismissive toward Manon’s absence, and potentially suggestive that the group could permanently continue without her. The account was later deactivated, but not before the posts had gone viral across Twitter and TikTok.

The backlash intensified when Rafael reportedly replied to multiple fans attempting to clarify his comments. In one exchange, he claimed Daniela had spoken with him before he made the earlier remarks about Manon, a statement that immediately sparked outrage and dragged Daniela herself into the controversy.

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He also allegedly wrote that he was “wishing Manon the best on her hiatus” while adding that KATSEYE would “proceed to greatness with or without one girl”.

Instagram

Now, some fans believe the repeated emphasis on the group continuing “with or without” a member suggests Manon may not return after her hiatus, despite the group’s official statement framing her absence as temporary.

Neither HYBE, Geffen, nor KATSEYE have addressed the circulating screenshots or Rafael’s comments.

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Featured image credit: David Fisher/Shutterstock