Is Manon really leaving Katseye? Hybe declines to comment

Speculation is growing over whether Manon of Katseye is leaving the group, after the Swiss member removed the group name from her social media profile Friday, April 3.

As of Friday afternoon, Manon’s Instagram profile reads only “mademoiselle manzanita,” with no mention of Katseye.

Hybe, which created the multinational girl group with Geffen Records, had previously said she was on hiatus due to a health issue.

The company declined to comment on the more recent speculation. It said that it remains unclear whether Manon will perform with the group at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club in California on April 11, as she has been on hiatus since February and no timeline has been given for her return.

The speculation was further fueled by a recent message Manon posted on fandom platform, Weverse.

“Thank you so much for all the love and support you’ve been sending my way,” she wrote. “I’m really grateful for the patience and kindness everyone has shown during this time.”

“HxG (Hybe x Geffen Records) and I are having positive conversations and I feel supported. I’m happy and I’m healthy. I’ll share more soon,” she added.

Fans remain divided over how to interpret her message. Some caution against overanalyzing what they see as a simple update, while others view the wording as suggestive of a potential departure from Katseye

Manon has also previously spoken about the pressures she and her bandmates have faced since Katseye’s debut in June 2024, describing the experience as “very terrorizing on the mind.”

Meanwhile, Katseye is set to release a new single, “Pinky Up,” on Thursday, April 9.

The group was put together through the audition project “The Debut: Dream Academy,” a flagship example of Hybe’s “multi-home, multi-genre” strategy led by Chairman Bang Si-hyuk. /ra