KATSEYE’S Manon responds to backlash as her Dream Academy ‘exclusion’ drama resurfaces

Ever since KATSEYE was formed on The Debut: Dream Academy in 2023, the group has promoted itself as a tight six-piece. People were shaken last week when it was announced that member Manon Bannerman would be taking a “temporary hiatus” to focus on her health and wellbeing, and the fallout has been loud.

This morning, Manon appeared to respond via Instagram story, posting a mirror selfie captioned: “I love you all more than words can describe.” People quickly interpreted the message as reassurance amid mounting speculation about her absence.

Instagram

The hiatus was first confirmed on 20th February through a joint statement from HYBE and Geffen, shared on KATSEYE’s official Weverse and X accounts. The labels said that “after careful consideration”, Manon would step back temporarily.

As the conversation spread, resurfaced clips from KATSEYE’s formation era began circulating again, particularly moments from the Netflix docuseries Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE, which followed the HYBE-Geffen survival process.

https://t.co/EZefVJJ67m pic.twitter.com/tc4OfmXycE

— KATSEYE (@katseyeworld) February 20, 2026

During the show, Manon was portrayed as missing rehearsals and struggling with the intense K-pop training environment, leading some trainees and staff to question her commitment.

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At the time, Manon explained she was adapting to a training culture very different from her upbringing in Switzerland, where rest during illness is expected. The series ultimately showed reconciliation: She apologised to teammates and promised to work harder, something both mentors and members acknowledged post-show.

@dhee.tv First of all, before you start talking negative about this, be careful cuz I’ll block you, I’ll always defend Manon, not just because she’s half Ghanaian and I’m Ghanaian 😂(80%) though, but because we’ve seen so many examples of how this was edited to make her look bad. Not showing up was not fair, but she wasn’t doing that because she just didn’t feel like it, they should have heard her side before treating her that way, but she took accountability and said , she would have told Manon at the time to try harder, so y’all forgive her please if you’re still holding on to it🫶 I’m glad they’re all good now, I just wasn’t going to skip over this clip because that was a main part of this show too. #fyp #foryoupage #explore #dreamacademy #katseye ♬ original sound – Dhee👩‍💻🎥

Still, the narrative stuck. Even after KATSEYE’s 2024 debut, some people claimed she was sidelined in choreography or absent from schedules, prompting Manon to push back publicly against being labelled “lazy”.

Now, her 2026 hiatus has reopened those debates, with people speculating it may not have been entirely her decision. Others have pointed to past comments about feeling targeted as the group’s only Black member.

For now, Manon’s brief Instagram message is the only personal response.

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Featured image credit: Instagram